Second in race 1, Saturday on the urban route from Brooklyn to New York, Jean-Éric had made a nice rapprochement in the standings of the 2021 Formula E World Championship. Unfortunately for the French driver of DS Techeetah, race 2 on Sunday ( 11th round of the season), turned into a nightmare. Following an accelerator problem during qualifying, he was already forced to start from last place on the starting grid. And, when the red lights went out, a new technical problem arose and the No. 25 DS Techeetah could not even start: retirement and safety car.
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Sam Bird and Mitch Evans, on the other hand, had regained their splendor at the start of the season with a 100% Jaguar front row. The Briton and the New Zealander led from the start of the race, but remained under the threat of Nick Cassidy. The Virgin-Audi driver, pole-sitter and 4th in the race on Saturday, perfectly managed his energy and the attack mode strategy (additional power for four minutes, twice per race). The last word came all the same to the Jaguars with Bird, very comfortable in the lead.
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Bird, double E-Prix winner
But while a superb double was taking shape and a large capital of points for the English team, Evans suffered from a lack of energy in the last two laps and tumbled to 13th place. Cassidy inherited the second place, ardently challenged by the reigning champion Antonio Felix Da Costa, who initially led a strong resistance against the two Porsches of Wehrlein and Lotterer. By snatching the 15 points for 3rd place plus the fastest lap in the race, the Portuguese allowed the DS Techeetah team to maintain contact in the Constructors’ Championship with Virgin and Jaguar. On the French side, Norman Nato (Venturi) pocketed the points for 7th place after a good fight to gain the upper hand over Di Grassi (Audi).
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Sam Bird, for his part, became a two-time E-Prix winner this season. The only one with Nyck De Vries, the Mercedes driver … totally absent for three races (18th Saturday). As for the leaders of the Championship, Sunday, they suffered: Vergne but also Mortara (17th), too ambitious on an attack against the BMW of Jake Dennis (straight) and Frijns (8th), left far and never in the rhythm (the Dutchman finished 5th on Saturday).
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In the standings, Sam Bird takes the lead with 81 points ahead of Frijns and Da Costa (76), Mortara (72), Cassidy (70) and Vergne (68). In the constructors’ standings, DS Techeetah (144 points) cedes its first place to Virgin (146) but keeps three points ahead of Jaguar (141). Next rounds in London, July 24th and 25th.
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