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Formula E Diriyah E-Prix: Two Races, Two Winners

The new Formula E season remains exciting: in the second and third races of the season, there was a third winner on Saturday evening. After Jake Dennis, Nick Cassidy won on Saturday in Ad-Diriyah. The New Zealander also takes the lead in the World Championship. At the top, Porsche and Jaguar are bustling as they did in 2023.

High jump - the two races saw two different winners. | Photo: FIA Formula E
High jump - the two races saw two different winners. | Photo: FIA Formula E
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Gregor Soller

Friday was a day of joy for Andretti (and a bit for Porsche as well): Formula E World Champion Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E Team) won the first race of the Diriyah E-Prix, overcoming the disappointment of his ninth place in Mexico with a commanding victory and the second-largest winning margin in Formula E history. Dennis started from the third grid position but managed the slippery track conditions and two of his most experienced competitors starting ahead of him with ease, proving his world champion qualities. Dennis finished 13.289 seconds ahead of Formula E's only double world champion, Jean-Éric Vergne (DS Penske) - a rare feat in Formula E, where most podium spots are often within a single second of each other.

Vergne had pole but slipped

Starting from pole position, Vergne led early on, but a slip gave Dennis an advantage, and Vergne was unable to put pressure on Dennis, who pulled away, meaning Vergne eventually took second place. Three corners before the checkered flag on the final lap, as Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) was fighting for second place, the Kiwi oversteered with a risky maneuver. This allowed two cars to pass, and Evans had to settle for fifth place after spending most of the race in the top three.

The day was more positive for Nick Cassidy, the new recruit of Jaguar TCS Racing, who drove onto the podium in third place from the seventh starting position with an innovative race strategy and late Attack Mode activations, benefiting from his teammate's mistake.

Sam Bird (NEOM McLaren Formula E Team) once again showcased his fondness for the Diriyah Street Circuit. He improved by five places from ninth to fourth and received the ABB Driver of Progress Award for the most positions gained in the race.

Norman Nato and Maximilian Günther also showed solid performances, finishing sixth and seventh respectively, while Pascal Wehrlein, the winner of the first race of the season in Mexico City, narrowly maintained his lead in the drivers' championship with an eighth-place finish.

Earlier, Oscar winner Adrien Brody completed two high-speed laps in the Formula E GEN3 race car. He also tried out the Porsche Taycan Safety Car. Along with his partner, fashion designer Georgina Chapman, he watched the race.

Jake Dennis was delighted:

“We had a difficult start to the season, but we turned it around and came back. I claimed my biggest win in Formula E today. In the last eight or nine laps, I was able to really give it my all and build this 13-second gap. Days like this don't come often. I have to show it to the guys tonight, and we will try to do it again tomorrow.”

He added: 

“There was a small debate between me and the team about when to activate Attack Mode, but ultimately we got it right. That was the most important thing because it's obviously so difficult to overtake here. We saw Mitch Evans trying to overtake, and fortunately, it didn't work out, so I could escape.”

Jean-Éric Vergne explained ruefully:

“Normally, you want to win the race from pole position, any other place is a disappointment, but today I am very happy. The pace we set was outstanding throughout the race. That was the best I could have done today, we made a big step forward compared to last year. We are catching up, we are not there yet, but we will be. And I hope that in a few races, we will have everything to beat them. Right now, I am very happy to get some points and improve. We will fight for more wins later.”

 

Everything was different in race three: Cassidy of TCS Jaguar won

On Saturday, Nick Cassidy from Jaguar TCS Racing claimed his first victory of season 10, celebrating his 50th Formula E race with a commanding win, becoming the only driver to have stood on the podium in all three races of this season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Cassidy started third and kept pace with leaders Robin Frijns (Envision Racing) and Oliver Rowland (Nissan Formula E Team), who had started from the Julius Bär Pole Position. Cassidy's tactical approach paid off as he navigated through the first round of Attack Mode activations and took the lead.

Once in the lead, Cassidy was able to build a 2.5-second advantage by executing his second mandatory 50 kW Attack Mode boost with precision. Despite relentless pursuit from Frijns and Rowland, who trailed by less than a second in the final stages of the race, Cassidy maintained his lead and crossed the finish line confidently.

Frijns returned to the podium with his second-place finish, having taken a break since his last appearance in New York City two years ago. Rowland completed the podium in third place, achieving his first top-three finish since Seoul in season 8.

DS Penske remains a strong contender

Notably, Jake Hughes (NEOM McLaren) achieved the best result of his career with a fourth-place finish, mirroring his teammate's result from round 2 at the same location. Stoffel Vandoorne (DS PENSKE) finished fifth, continuing his consistent performance in Diriyah.

The performances of Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan), Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche), and two-time champion Jean-Éric Vergne (DS PENSKE) were also remarkable, with Wehrlein extending his winning streak to an unmatched 14 races. Reigning champion Jake Dennis (Andretti) finished in a frustrating tenth place but was disqualified from the points standings after a five-second penalty for overtaking during a yellow flag.

With this victory, Cassidy now holds an 18-point lead in the Drivers' Championship, while Jaguar TCS Racing has a clear lead in the team standings. The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship continues on March 16 in São Paulo, where the electric excitement will continue.

What does it mean?

Formula E remains exciting, although technically three drives are clearly ahead: Porsche, Jaguar, and DS. It will be interesting to see who becomes champion this year.

DS Penkse remains a strong contender

Remarkably, Jake Hughes (NEOM McLaren) achieved the best placement of his career with a fourth place, matching his teammate's result from Round 2 at the same venue. Stoffel Vandoorne (DS PENSKE) finished fifth, continuing his consistent performance in Diriyah.

Noteworthy were the performances of Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan), Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche), and the two-time champion Jean-Éric Vergne (DS PENSKE), with Wehrlein extending his winning streak to an unmatched 14 races. The reigning champion Jake Dennis (Andretti) finished in a frustrating tenth place but was demoted out of the points standings after receiving a five-second penalty for overtaking during a yellow flag.

With his victory, Cassidy now has an 18-point lead in the driver championship, while Jaguar TCS Racing holds a clear lead in the team standings. The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship moves to Sao Paulo for the fourth round on March 16, where the electric excitement continues.

What does this mean?

Formula E remains exciting, although three powertrains clearly lead the way technically: Porsche, Jaguar, and DS. It remains to be seen who will be the champion this year.

Translated automatically from German.
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