Lucas di Grassi became the new
FIA Formula E champion despite taking a seventh place in the Hydro-Quebec Montreal
ePrix on July 30, 2017. He brought his ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport car home
safely for the six points that were more than enough to wrap up the
championship.
Meanwhile, India’s Mahindra
Racing capped off its best ever season in the FIA Formula E Championship with
second place at the Montreal ePrix. Swedish racing driver Felix Rosenqvist
delivered the team’s final podium in round 12, while teammate Nick Heidfeld
followed in fifth to lock down third in the Teams’ Championship. It was a far
cry from the previous day’s race and a fitting end to a whirlwind journey for
Mahindra Racing.
Two points for ninth in the
first race was wholly unrepresentative of the pace that Rosenqvist demonstrated
within the top four for the majority of the race. Heidfeld recovered from P14
to P11 until a clash with Loïc Duval ended his challenge for points on
Saturday.
The team mounted a comeback
plan overnight to turn its fortunes on the 2.75km street circuit in the heart
of the city. Both drivers converted their M3Electro racecar’s potential to
outright pace to nail qualifying and enter the Super Pole shootout for the
fifth and sixth time since the opening round in Hong Kong.
Pole for Rosenqvist meant he
was able to lead the 20-strong field from the start for the third time in his
short Formula E career and went on to control the race for almost 30 laps. For
Heidfeld, qualifying on the second row in fourth position was a vast
improvement on Saturday’s race and he was able to convert to a worthy fifth to
contribute to the teams’ overall championship standing.
It caps off a stunning season
from the Mahindra Racing team, who finished down in sixth for the previous
2015-16 FIA Formula E Championship. Right from the outset, the team showed it
had the combination of speed, reliability and driving talent to seriously
contend for podiums at every race since the start of the season. Starting from
the Monaco ePrix, Mahindra Racing has collectively out-scored every other team
in the paddock.
During the summer period,
Mahindra Racing will continue to develop its 2017-18 FIA Formula E Championship
challenger – the M4Electro. The results from this season will fuel the team to
hunt for more podiums and victories in this closely fought, all-electric
competition.
Beumi finds himself on back foot
Sebastien Buemi of Renault
e.dams found himself on the back foot once more, and a mistake on his flying
lap meant he started 13th - when only a podium finish would be enough to even
keep his title hopes alive.
Beumi had only his bad luck to
blame as Antonio Felix da Costa tagged the back of his car as the field scrambled to avoid the Techeetah
of Stephane Sarrazin, which had been tapped into a spin at the first corner of the opening
lap. Beumi had to pit for repairs and when he was back on the track almost
immediately, he fought his way back to 11th, but all hopes of the title were gone.
Rosenqvist, with an eye on
third in the championship, was more concerned with beating Bird than getting into a battle with
Vergne, and couldn’t prevent the Frenchman’s charge. Once ahead, Vergne quickly established a lead
that allowed him to bring home his and the team’s first Formula E win.
The Hydro-Quebec Montreal
ePrix was a huge success, with packed grandstands, enthusiastic fans and a track that the drivers
loved. The FIA Formula E Championship now embarks on a long summer break, before bursting back
into action with the Hong Kong ePrix, which kicks off season four on December 2 & 3.
2017
Hydro-Quebec Montreal ePrix (Rd 12) - Race results
1. Jean-Eric Vergne,
TECHEETAH, 54:12.606s (25)
2. Felix Rosenqvist, Mahindra
Racing, +0.896s (21)
3. Jose Maria Lopez, DS Virgin
Racing, +4.468s (15)
4. Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing,
+7.114s (12)
5. Nick Heidfeld, Mahindra
Racing, +21.933s (10)
6. Daniel Abt, ABT Schaeffler
Audi Sport, +24.444s (8)
7. Lucas di Grassi, ABT
Schaeffler Audi Sport, +24.855s (6)
8. Stephane Sarrazin,
TECHEETAH, +26.038s (4)
9. Jerome D'Ambrosio, Faraday
Future Dragon Racing, +28.282s (2)
10. Tom Dillmann, Venturi
Formula E, +28.591s (1)
11. Sebastien Buemi, Renault
e.dams, +35.170s
12. Mitch Evans, Panasonic
Jaguar Racing, +36.548s