Oliver Rowland took a stunning victory in Race 2 of the Monaco E-Prix, showing his championship-winning experience to beat Felipe Drugovich and Antonio Felix Da Costa to the top step on the podium.
The Brazilian drove superbly to score his maiden FE podium, with da Costa driving with great guile through the field to finish third, having been punted off at the Nouvelle Chicane by Edoardo Mortara on Lap 1. The Swiss finished second on the road, but was demoted to fifth for his misdemeanour.
It was another nightmare for polesitter Dan Ticktum, who finished out of the points and earning another penalty.
How the race unfolded
For the second race in a row, Ticktum lined up on pole, looking to fight for retribution from his disastrous Race 1. Alongside him, da Costa was starting second and hoping to get the best of Ticktum into Turn 1.
As the lights went out, Ticktum held onto his lead, with da Costa close behind the Brit. Mortara stuck close in third. Down into the Nouvelle Chicane, da Costa was heading around the chicane as Jean-Eric Vergne and Edo Mortara caught the back of the Portuguese driver, sending him spinning around.
The action continued, though da Costa fell through the order down to 16th. Mortara and Vergne made it past Ticktum on Lap 3, building a gap out front.
On lap 5, Nico Mueller lunged down the outside of Rowland, his Attack Mode giving him the extra boost to equally overtake Vergne’s Citroen. The Porsche was on a rampage as the only car with Attack Mode. He stormed into the lead and by Lap 7 had built a gap of 1.6 seconds to Mortara in second.
Meanwhile, farther down the field, Taylor Barnard made contact with Norman Nato, leaving the French driver out of the race; his car was wheeled into the pits. Barnard managed to continue but was under investigation for the incident.
Attack Mode battles
On Lap 9, the back markers in the field began taking their Attack Modes, with Evans leading the pack moving up into third on Lap 10. Evans went around Mueller on Lap 11, the duo going side by side and nearly touching, but Evans came out of the corner ahead and in the race lead.
By Lap 13, the gap had built to nearly two seconds to those behind him, but while he sat comfortably, Mortara went side by side with Mueller up the hill, the Mahindra driver making it past Mueller. However, it was a short-lived victory for Mortara, as Drugovich made it past both of them, moving into second.
Ticktum finally took his Attack Mode on Lap 15, but the Brit was stuck behind his countryman in eighth. Barnard had two minutes of the Attack Mode remaining, which was disrupting the Kiro’s progress.
It wasn’t just ahead that Ticktum had to worry about with Jake Dennis diving down the inside and briefly getting past the Kiro driver. However, Ticktum was quick to get back past and get ahead of not just Dennis but Barnard. His Attack Mode gives him the advantage to move quickly through the field into third.
With the final seconds of his first burst of Attack Mode, Ticktum made it past Evans for second and set his sights on Mortara. The Mahindra driver had yet to use any of his Attack Modes, but with a 10-second penalty, he was out of contention for the lead.
It was a disaster for Nick Cassidy and Pepe Marti, the Kiro failing to take the inside line and knocking the Citroen, which was around the outside, into the wall. A Yellow Flag was brought out, which became a Full Course Yellow on Lap 19.
Back to racing
Racing resumed on Lap 20, with Da Costa leading the field, recovering with his Attack Mode. Mortara sat close behind with Rowland and Drugovich all on his gearbox. Ticktum was also under investigation for speeding under the Full Course Yellow as he sat sixth in the order.
Within the top eight, it was only Evans and Ticktum who would still have Attack Mode remaining in the final stages of the race. Da Costa was under pressure from those behind him as he was the only one without Attack Mode. The Andretti made quick work of the Jaguar, which pushed him into the jaws of his teammate.
Oliver Rowland moved into the lead on Lap 23, the Nissan driver using his Attack Mode to go to the front of the field. With Mortara behind, Rowland had a buffer to Drugovich in third thanks to Mortara’s penalty.
Ticktum was back in seventh and received a five-second penalty for his Full Course Yellow infringement. However, it was a disaster for Barnard, the DS Penske driver, who was fighting with Evans just before the tunnel, but he went into the corner too fast, hit the wall, and destroyed his front suspension.
There was a brief FCY, but on Lap 27, the racing resumed, and Rowland led the field with a gap of 0.7 seconds.
Rowland was uncontested into the final corners, taking the chequered flag first with Drugovich finishing second and Da Costa being promoted to third after Mortara received his penalty. His teammate Evans took fourth, with Mortara settling in fifth. Dennis managed to get his Andretty into sixth with Mueller and Joel Eriksson in seventh and eighth.
Despite winning yesterday, De Vries settled for ninth, and Lucas di Grassi finished tenth.
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