Formula E: First Races of 2022 in Diriyah Were a Success for Mercedes and Venturi

The Formula E season opener in Saudi Arabia was literally under a "good star": The winners were Mercedes driver Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara, who drives for the "Mercedes customer team" Venturi.

Exciting Formula E opener in Diriyah, already entering its eighth season. Some details of the regulations were changed again in 2022. There is now a new qualifying mode: After a group phase, the front starting positions are now contested in a so-called "shootout mode" in a direct duel between two drivers. Here, Mercedes driver Stoffel Vandoorne came out on top against Jake Dennis in an exciting finale, securing the first pole position of the 2022 season. However, Vandoorne could not translate his good starting position into a victory in the race – in the second half, he had to let his teammate Nyck de Vries pass. Behind them, Jake Dennis on Andretti (until 2021: BMW-Andretti) completed the podium. Porsche also staked a claim to the podium with André Lotterer. He attacked his way up to third place – but used (too) much power in the process. Forced to save energy afterward, the Porsche driver then fell back to 13th place.

Second race: Only five thousandths of a second between pole and second place at the start

In the second race, De Vries started on pole again, having narrowly beaten Edoardo Mortara in the duel. There were only five thousandths of a second between the factory Mercedes and the Venturi "customer car" with basically identical technology! Mortara attacked very soon and was quickly on De Vries' tail. But De Vries hesitated with the second attack mode this time, causing him to quickly drop back. Consequently, he had to fight with too many competitors in front of him. In the end, Jean-Eric Vergne also "nudged" him unsanctimoniously out of his flow, causing De Vries to drop back to tenth place. Behind Mortara, Robin Frijns and Lucas di Grassi also made it to the podium in the second race. André Lotterer placed his Porsche in fourth this time, and Pascal Wehrlein finished ninth with the second Porsche, also earning points for Porsche.