DS-Penske also finishes in the points with both drivers in the second Formula E race in Shanghai: Stoffel Vandoorne misses pole by a hair’s breadth
After missing out on pole position by just a thousandth of a second, Stoffel Vandoorne secured important points for DS-Penske in the second Formula E race in Shanghai, finishing in sixth place. Jean-Eric Vergne’s seventh place rounded off a successful race. DS Automobiles and Jaguar were the only manufacturers to get both cars into the points.
After his pole position on Saturday, Vergne woke up determined to repeat this success. Vandoorne, who had also qualified for the quarter-finals the previous day and also experienced a race with plenty of contact in the leading group, also had the clear goal of proving himself.
In both cases, the goal was achieved and Vandoorne narrowly missed out on pole position, just a thousandth of a second behind the McLaren of Jake Hugues. The Belgian started the race in second place, while Vergne, who missed out on the quarter-finals by 13 thousandths of a second, finished ninth. Earlier, the two DS -E-TENSE FE23s had strategically positioned themselves cautiously in the top 10 in the third free practice session to test the possible development of the track in the still prevailing heat and humidity.
Sunday’s race lasted 28 laps, one less than the previous day. Vandoorne got off to a perfect start and took the lead. In the end, his position was complicated as he had to save as much energy as possible for the second half of the race. The various protagonists seemed to have learned from the previous day’s experience and showed less reluctance to engage in duels. Nevertheless, as on the previous day, there were numerous contacts.
Many drivers activated attack mode early on in order to better assess their remaining energy for the strategy at the end of the race. Vandoorne stayed in the top three, while Vergne hovered between fifth and tenth place. In general, the race was more dynamic than the day before and the field spread out further. Another sign that Formula E is a matter for technicians
Vergne was undeniably in a lurking position, while Vandoorne tried to keep in touch with the leaders without expending too much energy. This strategy paid off a few laps later.
When the remaining battery capacity of each electric car was displayed on the screen, it was clear that Jean-Eric Vergne had 1.2 kWh more energy than the leader. Twelve laps from the chequered flag, Vandoorne, who was still in the top 5, continued to resist. The laps he had spent at the front cost him a lot of energy, but by staying in the lead group, he regained some of his performance potential.
In the midfield, drivers often fall victim to small, unwanted attacks. This also happened to Vergne, who had to watch his front wing being torn to pieces. Fortunately, he did not have to pit
With ten laps to go, there was still no clarity. The two DS E-TENSE FE23s were in sixth and seventh place, behind Porsche, McLaren and Jaguar. Another double points result for DS-Penske, fulfilling the original ambitions of the French-American team in this extremely tight championship. With this result, both drivers remain in the top 10 of the overall standings.
Formula E now takes a five-week break before another double race in Portland in the north-west of the USA is on the program.
