Rain disrupted the running during the second race of the double-header Shanghai E-Prix weekend, but Jake Hughes and Stoffel Vandoorne handled the wet conditions masterfully to secure a crucial double-points haul for Maserati MSG Racing.
There was minimal running in the final practice session as the rain poured over the Shanghai International Circuit, and the conditions didn’t improve going into qualifying. Jake and Stoffel did a great job in their respective group qualifying sessions to both progress into the Duels.
The poor weather cut qualifying short, giving Jake and Stoffel no chance to improve on their starting places. As per FIA Formula E regulations, the results from group qualifying were used to set the grid as the Duels could not take place. This had Jake starting P5, with Stoffel just behind in P8.
The rain continued to pour, putting the race start under threat. FIA Formula E had already been aware of the inclement weather and adjusted the schedule to accommodate for an early race start to combat this. That revised race start time was delayed, but due to extra two hours in the schedule after the revised start time, there was still enough left in the day that the E-Prix could get underway.
With so much standing water on track, the race began under Safety Car conditions with the grid completing five laps under the Safety Car before a rolling start saw the beginning of the race. This period under the Safety Car at the start would see three additional race laps added at the end of the race.
The rolling start saw the grid relatively spread as the track went green, so the dash into Turn 1 was more of a reserved affair. Jake got a great run on Lola YAMAHA’s Lucas di Grassi, demoting him from fourth on track.
With the margins bigger than usual between the cars, Attack Mode was not as costly to activate. Both Jake and Stoffel took their first four minutes of extra power without losing track position as the racing settled down.
Drama occurred throughout the race, but Jake and Stoffel expertly manoeuvred the wet conditions to keep the two Maserati Tipo Folgore’s on the grey stuff and pointing in the right direction. Jake was looking like he might close in on Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa in the closing stages of the race to claim a podium, but energy management became a priority. With the treacherous conditions off the racing line, it wasn’t worth the risk to Jake’s P4 to try something boisterous on the Porsche.
A more positive end to the weekend as Maserati MSG Racing retakes sixth in the team’s championship and Jake and Stoffel add good points to their drivers’ championship totals. The FIA Formula E World Championship resumes on June 21st in Jakarta.
QUOTES
Jake Hughes, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing: “We finished up here in Shanghai on a positive note. When you look at our weekend, we put together a really strong couple of days. It could have easily been two top five finishes without the issue in the pit stop yesterday. It feels like a long time coming since I finished in the points – last time was Jeddah. Some of it was my doing, our doing, but I think in a lot of these races we’ve been strong, and we just haven’t been able to get to the chequered flag in the right condition. Finally, today, we had good qualy, good race, good pace, and it was nice to get that P4 on the board.”
Stoffel Vandoorne, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing: “Today was a really tricky one, especially the start of the race; the visibility was challenging. I didn’t feel super competitive at the start, but gradually as the race went on our tyres were getting into a better window and we picked up more and more pace. That’s where we started to get back some positions and ultimately finished P7. I think we lost a bit too much ground in the beginning and there was only so much left at the end.”
Cyril Blais, Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing: “Great race today with both cars in the points. Jake was fighting with Da Costa, I think we had the pace to fight for the podium, and Stoffel had really strong pace as well – he was fighting with Mueller almost getting P6. Both cars moved forwards, and our pace looked very strong in the wet, so today was a great result. It was a tricky race, one all about management: energy management, tyre management, conditions management and strategy. It’s a reward after yesterday when we were in a strong position, but the Pit Boost issues cost us, not allowing us to optimise the result. We knew the potential was there and today we saw that. It was good to see that confirmed with both cars after an intense five weeks of racing. Now we can focus on the next race in Jakarta after a bit of a rest, regroup and get ready to go strong at the next race.”
Maria Conti, Head of Maserati Corse: “Today we are taking home some important points for the standings despite the rain that strongly influenced the round, and are doing so thanks to extraordinary teamwork, determination and vision. We approached the race with an extreme concentration and had both cars take points: a solid result.
“The race weekend in Shanghai was a major event, not only on a symbolic level. We’re back in the country where the Formula E championship took its first steps 11 years ago, but most of all we have learned some important lessons to be able to face every single future round with determination. Shanghai is a Key City for Maserati and plays a highly important role in terms of business. The city symbolises innovation, technology and passion for electric mobility, values that Maserati shares with its Folgore range. We now have an important end to the season ahead of us and our goals are clear: we want to be consistent in giving our best for our fans in every round and honour Maserati’s racing history of almost a century in every race. The next event will be in Jakarta, where two years ago the Trident mounted the top step of the podium at a Formula E race for the first time: we can’t wait to return to a country that has already given us wonderful feelings once before.”
