Jean-Eric Vergne has said that this weekend's Sanya E-Prix marks the perfect chance to turn around what has so far been a disappointing 2018/19 campaign as DS Techeetah approaches its home race.
After storming to his first championship victory since 2010 last season, triumphing in the Drivers' Championship, the 32-year-old Frenchman has so far endured a disappointing Season Five title defence.
Vergne started the season strong in Ad Diriyah, taking a hard-fought second place before making a mistake at the start of January's Marrakesh E-Prix which left the driver fighting through the pack from the back of the field after previously battling for the lead, later finishing in fifth.
Since then, the reigning champion has failed to deliver DS Techeetah with any points, retiring for the first time since the 2017 Paris E-Prix in Santiago before taking a pair of 13th place finishes in Mexico City and Hong Kong.
"Once again, I had an incident-filled E-Prix in Hong Kong, we just don’t seem to catch a break this season," said Vergne.
"Two incidents within two laps is just not cool so we will do everything that we can to have a good E-Prix in Sanya now.
"It’s time to turn this bad luck around and it would be beyond good to do this at our home E-Prix."
For Vergne's team-mate Andre Lotterer, the German driver heads to Sanya longing to secure his maiden Formula E victory after missing out on such a result in Hong Kong, picking up a puncture on the penultimate lap of the race after getting hit by Sam Bird on the run to Turn 2:
"Although Hong Kong was beyond disappointing, I’ve now put it behind me as we re-focus on the next race and I’m keener than ever to get that win.
"The Sanya layout features a unique combination of very tight corners in sector two in medium speed combined with load corners in sector one and three. If can deliver a home win this week it would be incredible.”
DS Techeetah Team Principal Mark Preston added: “Hong Kong was a real disappointment for everyone in the team, the win was André’s and he really deserved it.
"We think Sam [Bird] got away with a very light penalty considering that he hit, punctured and made André retire from the race he had been leading for 28 laps. However, we fully accept the final decision from the FIA and look forward to Sanya.
“We continue to stride forward, and we’ve had everyone back at the factory to re-charge and prepare the Sanya E-Prix. It’s fair to say that we’re all quite motivated to claim a victory and it would even sweeter to do to it here in Sanya as it is our home race.”
The Sanya E-Prix will take place on March 23 and will be supported by the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY.
