- Jean-Éric Vergne finished seventh after spending plenty of time in contention for the podium, scoring more points for DS Automobiles in Jeddah
- Maximilian Günther was forced into retirement at the end of the first lap and is planning to bounce back strongly at the next round
- The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will resume in Miami (USA) on April 12
After the first pole position and debut victory of the season for DS Automobiles thanks to Maximilian Günther on Friday, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship teams and drivers were back on track on Saturday evening for the fourth race of the season.
This time, it was Jean-Éric Vergne who flew the flag for DS Automobiles. The Frenchman got away from 12th on the grid and then made his way up the leaderboard, running fourth by the halfway point of the race. Unlike the day before, there was no PIT BOOST to provide extra energy during the 31 laps.
Energy management was one of the keys to success, with the fans witnessing a very strategic race. By choosing to keep a long six-minute ‘Attack Mode’ for the end of the race, JEV was able to fight for a podium place almost right up to the finish. Nonetheless, an action-packed final lap dropped him from fourth to seventh place in the final metres. While naturally disappointed with the end result, the sport’s only two-time world champion still managed to score some important points for himself and the DS PENSKE team. After four races out of 16, he is currently sixth in the provisional standings.
Maximilian Günther started the race from sixth on the grid but was unfortunately forced into retirement after a coming-together at the third corner. Having taken a maximum score on Friday (thanks to pole position, victory, and fastest lap) the German is currently fourth in the overall classification. DS PENSKE is also fourth in the Teams’ standings – just five points off the leader.
After Saudia Arabia, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will resume in Miami. The well-known metropolis on the eastern coast of the United States will host the fifth race of the season on April 12.
Eugenio Franzetti, DS Performance director:
“Today was a very different race compared to yesterday and it was more difficult for us. Following some contact on the first lap, Max was forced into retirement as the car was too badly damaged to continue. JEV drove a great race, climbing from 12th on the grid to seventh at the flag. But to be completely honest, we expected more as he was still fighting for a podium just a few corners from the finish. Nonetheless, we leave Jeddah happy as we’ve made progress in both championships (Teams and Drivers) and the gap to the leaders is very small. You can rest assured that we will be leaving no stone unturned as we prepare for the next race in Miami!”
Jean-Éric Vergne, 2018 and 2019 Formula E World Champion:
“It was a good race today, even if the result wasn’t what we wanted. I was obviously aiming for more, but Formula E is like that: sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don’t. I lost a few places on the last lap, despite being in the lead group throughout the race. Still, we made very good progress after starting from 12th and battling for the top three for most of the race. The end result is frustrating, but the positive point is that we have worked very well as a team. Yesterday, both Max and I brought home some big points. Today is my fourth points finish from four races. So we are just going to carry on working hard, as we have been doing, and I am sure that we will continue to make progress during the next races.”
Maximilian Günther:
“Looking at everything as a whole, it’s been a very positive weekend for us. We’ve shown a lot of performance throughout both days. And yesterday was a dream while today we were very solid once more. I set the quickest time in free practice and got through to the final phase of qualifying. Starting from the third row of the grid, I had hoped to battle for a podium at least. Then the third corner happened; I tried to get alongside another car and locked my front wheels under braking. I wanted to slow down but it was too late – I was just a passenger. There was some contact, and the damage meant that it was the end of my race. That’s a real shame and I’m sorry about what happened. Now we have to turn the page and focus on what comes next. The most important thing is that the team is competitive and that we are working well together. We’ve proved that throughout the weekend and I’m looking forward to continuing to demonstrate that in the races to come.” Jean-Éric Vergne finished seventh after spending plenty of time in contention for the podium, scoring more points for DS Automobiles in Jeddah
- Maximilian Günther was forced into retirement at the end of the first lap and is planning to bounce back strongly at the next round
- The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will resume in Miami (USA) on April 12
After the first pole position and debut victory of the season for DS Automobiles thanks to Maximilian Günther on Friday, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship teams and drivers were back on track on Saturday evening for the fourth race of the season.
This time, it was Jean-Éric Vergne who flew the flag for DS Automobiles. The Frenchman got away from 12th on the grid and then made his way up the leaderboard, running fourth by the halfway point of the race. Unlike the day before, there was no PIT BOOST to provide extra energy during the 31 laps.
Energy management was one of the keys to success, with the fans witnessing a very strategic race. By choosing to keep a long six-minute ‘Attack Mode’ for the end of the race, JEV was able to fight for a podium place almost right up to the finish. Nonetheless, an action-packed final lap dropped him from fourth to seventh place in the final metres. While naturally disappointed with the end result, the sport’s only two-time world champion still managed to score some important points for himself and the DS PENSKE team. After four races out of 16, he is currently sixth in the provisional standings.
Maximilian Günther started the race from sixth on the grid but was unfortunately forced into retirement after a coming-together at the third corner. Having taken a maximum score on Friday (thanks to pole position, victory, and fastest lap) the German is currently fourth in the overall classification. DS PENSKE is also fourth in the Teams’ standings – just five points off the leader.
After Saudia Arabia, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will resume in Miami. The well-known metropolis on the eastern coast of the United States will host the fifth race of the season on April 12.
Eugenio Franzetti, DS Performance director:
“Today was a very different race compared to yesterday and it was more difficult for us. Following some contact on the first lap, Max was forced into retirement as the car was too badly damaged to continue. JEV drove a great race, climbing from 12th on the grid to seventh at the flag. But to be completely honest, we expected more as he was still fighting for a podium just a few corners from the finish. Nonetheless, we leave Jeddah happy as we’ve made progress in both championships (Teams and Drivers) and the gap to the leaders is very small. You can rest assured that we will be leaving no stone unturned as we prepare for the next race in Miami!”
Jean-Éric Vergne, 2018 and 2019 Formula E World Champion:
“It was a good race today, even if the result wasn’t what we wanted. I was obviously aiming for more, but Formula E is like that: sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don’t. I lost a few places on the last lap, despite being in the lead group throughout the race. Still, we made very good progress after starting from 12th and battling for the top three for most of the race. The end result is frustrating, but the positive point is that we have worked very well as a team. Yesterday, both Max and I brought home some big points. Today is my fourth points finish from four races. So we are just going to carry on working hard, as we have been doing, and I am sure that we will continue to make progress during the next races.”
Maximilian Günther:
“Looking at everything as a whole, it’s been a very positive weekend for us. We’ve shown a lot of performance throughout both days. And yesterday was a dream while today we were very solid once more. I set the quickest time in free practice and got through to the final phase of qualifying. Starting from the third row of the grid, I had hoped to battle for a podium at least. Then the third corner happened; I tried to get alongside another car and locked my front wheels under braking. I wanted to slow down but it was too late – I was just a passenger. There was some contact, and the damage meant that it was the end of my race. That’s a real shame and I’m sorry about what happened. Now we have to turn the page and focus on what comes next. The most important thing is that the team is competitive and that we are working well together. We’ve proved that throughout the weekend and I’m looking forward to continuing to demonstrate that in the races to come.”
