Round 5 of the FIA Formula E World Championship ended with disappointing results for the Citroën Racing team. Early on during Free Practice and Qualifying, both Jean-Éric Vergne and Nick Cassidy looked solid. Qualifying even had both drivers reach the duels, giving the team high hopes for the race. However, the E-Prix was not easy around the unforgiving Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Citroën Racing Formula E Team Principal Cyril Blais spoke about the difficult race, stating:
“That was a tough day at the office. We executed qualifying well and put ourselves in a strong position to start the race, but ultimately, we didn’t optimise the strategy. The pace at the beginning caught us slightly by surprise, which left us in a difficult position, not quite at the front and not saving enough energy at the back, and that made the race very challenging to manage. Starting from P5 and P8, we had the potential to score strong points, we hoped for more, so naturally this is a disappointing outcome. We’ll take the time to fully analyse the race, go through every detail, and ensure we learn from it so we can come back stronger in Madrid.”
“It’s not yet exactly where we want to be in terms of overall performance, but we will work hard tonight to improve further ahead of the race tomorrow. After a difficult race in Miami, it’s important to bounce back with both drivers bringing home solid points especially on such an unforgiving track. We’ll take the positives and the lessons from today into tomorrow.”
Cassidy deems Jeddah “one of the toughest races I’ve experienced in Formula E”
Although Qualifying showed strong promise, the E-Prix was not straightforward for Nick Cassidy. Cassidy was set to line up eighth on the grid, but as he focused on saving power, he dropped three places immediately. The Kiwi driver spent the race battling the midfield and tried everything to move up the pack. However, the strategy chosen by Citroën left him vulnerable. He finished the race in P14.
Speaking about the demanding race around Jeddah, Cassidy said:
“That was one of the toughest races I’ve experienced in Formula E. I actually felt pretty comfortable in the car, and the balance was strong, which we saw reflected in qualifying with P8 on the grid. From there, we felt we were in a good position to fight for solid points.
“Unfortunately, it just didn’t come together in the race today. The result certainly wasn’t down to a lack of pace or the effort the team put into the car set-up, the car felt competitive. We’ll review everything carefully and look to bounce back stronger in Madrid.”
Ready to fight in Madrid
On the other hand, teammate Vergne had a slightly better day at the office. The Frenchman lined up fifth on the grid and had a solid launch off the line. The race held promise early on. However, strategy on the unforgiving Jeddah track was crucial, and the team’s gamble did not pay off. While he attempted to maximise Attack Mode phases, it was not enough to move up the order. Vergne ended the E-Prix in P9, securing two points. Still, the driver showed he was relentless, which will leave him hungry for a fight in the next round in Madrid.
“It was a hard day for us and, honestly, it feels like the car was capable of much more than the classification shows. The balance was improved compared to yesterday, I had more grip, which really helped in qualifying, and we delivered a strong session to start P5. The race began relatively positively, but as it developed our strategy didn’t work out the way we needed it to. As a team, we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and today we didn’t maximise our potential. We continue to learn and improve. We’ll take the time to reset, analyse everything in detail, and make sure we arrive in Madrid ready to fight at the front again.” Vergne explained.
