- The DS Automobiles squad put in a great team performance at the Monaco E-Prix
- Stoffel Vandoorne was third at the most glamourous race of the year to claim his first podium with DS Automobiles
- Jean-Éric Vergne finished fourth, scoring some important points
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship hosted its most prestigious race of the year this weekend, with the Monaco E-Prix eagerly awaited by drivers and fans alike. On top of the well-known challenge of threading a car through the guardrails of the twisty 3.3-kilometre street track, the principality also presented some of the biggest elevations of the year, with the climb up from Sainte-Dévote to the famous Casino, then the descent towards the harbour and the swimming pool complex.
Resplendent in their black and gold ‘Grand Gala’ liveries, the two DS E-TENSE FE23 cars shone in qualifying as well. Having got through to the final stage of the duels, Stoffel Vandoorne claimed second-fastest overall. Underlining the performance of the French premium constructor, this was the fifth time in eight races that a DS Automobiles power train had taken a front-row place on the grid: more than any other constructor. Jean-Éric Vergne was also straight on the pace at the legendary Monegasque street circuit, lining up fifth on the grid.
Stoffel Vandoorne’s race got off to a great start and he took the lead until just before a safety car came out in response to an accident at the swimming pool complex. He dropped a couple of places with the activation of his two attack modes but remained consistently in the fight for the lead, just ahead of his team mate Jean-Éric Vergne. The two former champions managed a perfect team game when a second safety car was deployed, which lengthened the race by two laps.
Once the action resumed with five laps to go, Vandoorne made the most of his performance to secure his first podium with DS Automobiles. JEV – the holder of the record for the most points scored in the history of Formula E – finished fourth, scoring vital championship points. All in all, it was a superb team effort from the French manufacturer.
After the eighth of 16 races this year, Jean-Éric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne are seventh and ninth in the drivers’ standings, while DS Automobiles and its partner PENSKE AUTOSPORT are fifth in the teams’ rankings: very close to the provisional manufacturers’ podium.
Following the Monaco street race, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship competitors head to another classic venue: the Berlin Tempelhof airport circuit. Appearing for the 10th time in Germany, Formula E has put together a new track layout for Berlin, delivering an extra challenge for the double header scheduled from May 11-12.
