- The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship put on a great show this Sunday through the streets of Tokyo, featuring intense battles and non-stop action
- A fighting Jean-Eric Vergne secured points thanks to a sixth-place finish, while Maximilian Günther made it into the top 10
- The next two rounds of the series take place from May 31 to June 1 at the Shanghai E-Prix in China
Following heavy rain the day before, the challenging Tokyo street circuit was completely dry on Sunday for the second round of the E-Prix held in the Japanese capital. Jean-Eric Vergne was aiming for another haul of points after qualifying fourth, while Maximilian Günther – who was unlucky on Saturday – started from 12th on the grid.
Over the course of 32 frenetic laps, race 2 in Tokyo delivered a full-on spectacle, with countless overtaking moves and consistently close action. Jean-Eric Vergne, running between eighth and 10th places, bided his time at the wheel of the DS E-TENSE FE25. After getting through a Full Course Yellow to good effect, he made full use of his second Attack Mode to spectacularly climb into the top five.
The race was neutralised close to the finish, with the Safety Car pulling off at the start of the final lap. ‘JEV’ eventually took the flag in sixth place, scoring more valuable points after a determined performance.
Maximilian Günther gave everything to move up the order and break into the final top 10, despite the race being neutralised just after he had activated his Attack Mode. He completed his charge in 10th place.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will remain in Asia for rounds 10 and 11 of the season, with the next event taking place from May 31 to June 1 on the streets of Shanghai in China.
Eugenio Franzetti, DS Performance director:
“The second race in Tokyo was very different from the first: less strategic and more competitive, with plenty of duels, overtaking moves, and contact between the cars. Basically, pure motorsport as it should be! For DS Penske, it was a good race, even though the Safety Car worked against us during a large part of Max’s Attack Mode, which undoubtedly prevented him from breaking into the top eight. We come away from this event confident in our performance with solid points for the championship, and we are already focused on the next two races in Shanghai.”
Jean-Eric Vergne, 2018 and 2019 Formula E Champion:
“The start was a mixed bag for me, as I immediately lost positions, and my first Attack Mode was also tricky. So I found myself further down the order, with the sole objective of fighting back, which I managed to do by finishing sixth. This was not the result I was hoping for, but it still brings solid points for the championship. The car felt good, and now we just need to put all the pieces together to aim for better results. I’m feeling confident for Shanghai.”
Maximilian Günther:
“To sum up the whole weekend, we were solid in the first free practice sessions before heading in directions that weren’t ideal. On Sunday, the performance just wasn’t really there, which dropped us to 13th on the starting grid. The first part of the race was tough, but then I managed to climb back up to grab a spot in the top 10. The neutralisation that came right after I activated my Attack Mode was a real shame. I ended up behind the Safety Car for two minutes, which definitely cost me a few positions. So this wasn’t really our weekend, but I know the team is strong and I’m sure we’ll be able to bounce back in two weeks in China.”
