Nyck De Vries bested Dan Ticktum to take victory in Race 1 of the Formula E Monaco E-Prix double-header with Mitch Evans taking second place and the Championship lead, with Pepe Marti scoring his maiden podium.
The Dutchman executed a brilliant Pit Boost strategy from Mahindra to score his first Formula E win in nearly four years, having last triumphed in Seoul in 2022.
Evans’ calm performance saw him gain the advantage in the Drivers’ standings, with Marti inheriting third after teammate Dan Ticktum was handed a belated drive through penalty after clashing late in the race with Antonio Felix da Costa.
How the Formula E Monaco E-Prix happened
After taking his second career pole position, Dan Ticktum lined up on pole, hoping to take another victory, but De Vries was lined up alongside him, looking to take the lead into Turn 1.
As the lights went out, Ticktum held onto the lead into the first corner, as De Vries settled for second place heading into Casino Square. Gunther and Evans went side by side through the opening corners, taking third place from the Kiwi driver.
Evans took the place back from Gunther on Lap 3, with the Porsche duo close on his gearbox, Wehrlein leading the charge. Antonio Felix Da Costa made his way past Nico Mueller. Splitting the Porches and trying to get close to his former teammate.
Da Costa continued to charge through the field, making a move on Wehrlein into fifth.
Collision for Cassidy
On lap 5, heading into the Nouvelle Chicane, Cassidy moved over the wall, squeezing Jake Dennis on the outside, crashing both drivers into the wall. Both cars were severely damaged. Prompting the deployment of a Safety Car.
Cassidy managed to get his car going again, joining the back of the pack. Unfortunately for Dennis, it was the end of his race.
On lap 9, Jean-Eric Vergne went side by side with Mueller onto the start-finish straight. Vergne tapped the rear wheel of the Porsche, but the duo made it through the corner unscathed, and Vergne maintained his position.
Mueller lunged down the inside of Joel Eriksson into the hairpin, taking seventh place from the Envision successfully.
Wehrlein was running slowly, the Porsche driver suffering a puncture after making contact with his teammate. Mueller picked up front wing damage from the collision, running straight into the back of Wehrlein.
Mueller was able to continue following the field, holding on to sixth, but Wehrlein came into the pits on Lap 14, changing the tyres and making his way back on track.
It was a disaster for Oliver Rowland, too. The reigning world champion is also coming on the radio to say he had a puncture. The Nissan driver also slid down the order.
A change of lead in the pits
On Lap 16, the majority of the grid funnelled into the pits, with De Vries diving in but Ticktum deciding to stay out. Leading the pit boost group, De Vries’ opening laps were vital to help him challenge Ticktum when the Brit came in.
Ticktum lost the lead to Da Costa on Lap 17, with the Portuguese driver using his Attack Mode. However, despite the move, Ticktum still held the advantage, yet to take his Attack Mode.
The Brit came into the pits on Lap 19, with De Vries managing to get ahead of the Kiro as he left the pit lane. Ticktum had to settle for third place, but with the top two using their Attack Modes, the Kiro had an advantage later in the race.
De Vries was putting pressure on the back of Da Costa, who sat in the lead, but he had Evans equally on the back of his Mahindra. The Mahindra took the lead, and Jaguar told Da Costa to let Evans pass, moving the Kiwi into second.
Despite De Vries having Attack Mode, he only managed to build the gap to under a second. As the Attack Mode ran out, the Mahindra had to fend off the Jaguar drivers behind and the Kiro in fourth.
With Attack Mode, Ticktum was closing the gap to the top three, looking to take back some positions. Town through the tunnel, the Brit was ight o nthe gearbox of Da Costa, but he just couldn’t make it past.
At the start-finish straight, Ticktum made it into third past the Portuguese. However, his Attack Mode ran out, leaving the Brit in the final podium position and forcing him to save energy, as he had less than those around him.
Contact for da Costa
Ticktum and Da Costa went wheel-to-wheel into the Nouvelle Chicane, both drivers cutting the corner. The Kiro driver led out of the corner, but not without complaints from the Jaguar.
The battle reached its boiling point in the nouvelle chicane again as Da Costa went into the inside of the corner, and Ticktum closed the gap, with the Jaguar losing the rear-left tyre and damaging his suspension.
Da Costa plummeted to the back of the field and brought out a Safety Car; Ticktum managed to continue on, but the duo were under investigation.
Behind Ticktum was his teammate, Pepe Marti, 21 seconds back. As Ticktum received a drive-through penalty for the collision, Marti was promoted to third place, taking his first podium of the season.
Crossing the finish line, De Vries took victory, with Evans in second and Marti in third. Felipe Drugovich and Sebastien Buemi were in fourth and fifth.
Joel Eriksson took sixth behind his teammate with Taylor Barnard in seventh, Gunther close behind in eighth, and Mueller rounding in ninth. Di Grassi rounded out the top ten.
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