Antonio Felix da Costa once again showed resilience and strength of character with a superb win in the Shanghai E-Prix.
The Tag Heuer Porsche man led for around half the race, using all his experience to take the chequered flag for a second win in successive race weekends, a change in fortunes after a time penalty yesterday leaving him down the order, having initially finished fifth. NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes was unable to convert his pole position into a win, but was delighted with second, his first-ever FIA Formula E podium finish, after an impressive showing of defensive driving. Norman Nato took his first podium of the year, with Nick Cassidy maintaining his title charge with fourth, after Pascal Wehrlein finished outside the points after a puncture early in the race.
The second Jaguar TCS Racing of Mitch Evans was fifth, with the DS Penske pair of Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Éric Vergne sixth and seventh respectively. Max Günther put some recent disappointments behind him, returning to the points with eighth. Robin Frijns drove superbly to take ninth, having started at the back, with Oliver Rowland 10th.
HOW THE RACE UNFOLDED
At the start, Vandoorne took the lead from Hughes, with Nato moving up to fourth. Rowland would be the biggest loser at the start, dropping to 11th. On lap two, da Costa divedombed Hughes in the final sector to take second, with Hughes, Nato, de Vries and Cassidy the first of the leading pack to take Attack Mode.
At the start of lap four, Nato slipstreamed Hughes, and took the McLaren and da Costa around the outside for second, and then took the lead as Vandoorne took his Attack Mode. Hughes and de Vries took their second attack on lap five as Nato continued to lead. Cassidy took his second a lap later, with Nato taking his second on lap seven, handing Vandoorne the lead, the race conveying less of the high intensity of race one.
Wehrlein was not making any progress, and would take Attack Mode on lap eight, leaving him 12th, with Dennis and Rowland sat behind him. A lap later, da Costa and Vandoorne went for their second Attack Mode, handing the lead back to Nato. On lap 10, Cassidy and Vandoorne jostled for position with the Belgian maintaining his fourth place, as Günther moved-up to seventh ahead of de Vries.
Da Costa would be next to take a second attack, with Nato now back in the lead. In the bottom half of the field, Robin Frijns was making the most progress, moving from the back row up to 10th. On lap 12, Vandoorne took third from Hughes at turn one, as Wehrlein was forced to pit due to a puncture caused by contact with Sam Bird, ruining his race.
By lap 14, Nato continued to lead and pulled out a gap of around three tenths as racing behind the Frenchman began to grow into frequency, with Hughes moving back up to third. Things looked good for Jaguar, with Cassidy and Evans fifth and six, both carrying more energy than those around them. Da Costa would take the lead from Nato, opening-up a half-second gap.
Cassidy moved up to fourth ahead of Vandoorne, as Nato began to defend valiantly from Hughes, the Englishman desperate to score his first Formula E podium. Dennis took his second Attack Mode on lap 18, down in 11th behind Müller and Frijns. Vergne became the final man to go for his second attack, as Cassidy suffered front wing damage as he jostled for Hughes for second, as the McLaren man and Nato began to swarm over the back of da Costa’s Porsche.
Bird, who was running near to the points, retired on lap 19 after clattering into de Vries at the final chicane, pushing the Dutchman down to 17th place. Vandoorne dropped behind both the Jaguars, leaving him in sixth and in the clutches of team-mate Vergne, both of the Penskes struggling for energy. Cassidy was a percent up on those around him but was suffering from a shaking front wing after contact with Hughes at turn one, as da Costa maintained his lead and looking strong, with Hughes and Nato continuing to pursue.
With just four laps to go, da Costa continued to lead with Hughes in second, with both Jaguars up on energy but still looking unable to make any further moves. Hughes would not leave da Costa’s mirrors, but the Porsche still looked calm and in control.
On the final lap, da Costa led as Hughes continued to give chase, but ultimately there was no answer to da Costa, who sailed across the line to take his second win of Season 10, with Hughes second, taking his first-ever FE podium, with Nato a superb third, aiding his chances of a contract renewal with Andretti. With Wehrlein out of the points, Cassidy could feel content with fourth place, extending his title lead, with Evans fifth to solidify Jaguar’s lead in the Teams’ Championship.
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