Eighteenth to first place at the finish. Say what you will about the FIA Formula E Chamipionship featuring cars that are not all that fast, cars having to be changed at a pit stop and race distances being minimal, but its format does produce some bold strategy calls. And even though, those strategy calls require racers to fall back on energy conservation rather than going flat-out, one has to give credit to those on the pitwall to stick their necks out.
Such was the case with the Mexico City ePrix, the fourth round of the 2016-17 Formula E season and the first to feature someone other than Renault e.Dams’ Sebastien Buemi at the top step of the podium.
In fact a 14th place finish for Buemi and a win for ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport’s Lucas Di Grassi, from 18th on the grid, means that the points standings have changed significantly, too, with Di Grassi just 5 points behind Buemi.
Never before had a driver won from so far down on the grid, never before had a driver had to change a rear wing and gone on to win. But that only tells half the story.
Having pitted so far off sequence, and taken full advantage of two of the three Qualcomm Safety Car periods, Di Grassi found himself with a comfortable 30-second lead. The drivers behind would have a lot more energy and would definitely be quicker. But could he go fast enough to keep them at bay?
That became irrelevant when Loic Duval’s Faraday Future Dragon Racing car suffered a battery glitch and stopped on track. The safety car was deployed for the final time, but now di Grassi’s lead was gone.
However, behind him Jerome D’Ambrosio was running a similar strategy, and last year’s winner was in no mood to give up his second place. For lap after lap he kept the TECHEETAH of Jean-Eric Vergne at bay. Eventually the Frenchman found a way through, but by now it was the final lap and even though he scythed into Di Grassi’s lead, he simply ran out of time to catch and pass.
A superb drifting move around the outside into the Turn 3 right-hander took Sam Bird past D’Ambrosio and into third place on the last lap. The DS Virgin Racing driver had been in the thick of the action throughout the race, and he was very happy to have scored his second podium of the season.
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