The curiosity and the chaos surrounding the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship event in Beijing – refer to the last lap incident between Nico Prost and Nick Heidfeld for the chaos – was distinctly lacking in the second round of the championship at Putrajaya, Malaysia but that was probably a good thing.
After the initial hype (and hyperbole, both good and bad) around the opening race the Putrajaya ePrix was a chance to see Formula E run to a more familiar tune. The circuit was still a street circuit but a lot more open and flowing than the Olympic Park venue in Beijing. The track was wider and the layout looked similar to that of the Albert Park F1 circuit, at least from the track map although there were still enough tight corners with walls just waiting for drivers to slip up.
The high initial torque of the cars along with having to race on essentially all-weather Michelins was a combination that caught out a “greedy” Bruno Senna on the very last tour of the 31-lap race.
Senna’s crash and teammate Karun Chandhok losing 14 seconds during his car change pit stop cost the team a podium place although the Indian was able to bring his car home in sixth to follow his fifth place in Beijing.
Chandhok’s 18 points after the first two rounds puts him in a six way tie for third place in the standings but for now the focus is firmly set on the top of the pile.
Former Mercedes AMG F1 test driver Sam Bird emphatically won in Putrajaya to follow up his somewhat fortuitous third place in Beijing. Equally lucky would be Lucas di Grassi who won in Beijing as a result of Prost and Heidfeld’s collision although he took second behind Bird.
The Englishman now trails the Brazilian by three points with a tally of 40 points with the chasing six behind him waiting to string together a few consistent race performances of their own.
It’s looking like proper racing even though the speed and endurance leave something to be desired.
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