After an intense race, Cassidy claims victory over Dennis and Vergne.
Credit: Formula E Media Bank / Simon Galloway
It’s race start time in Berlin for the second time this weekend. We have track conditions rather different to this morning’s for FP3 and the Qualifying session, as the sun is shining and the track has completely dried.
Probably not the weather Team ABT was hoping for, as the still pointless in 2023 team had secured an incredible front row lockup under the rain, looking significantly faster than everyone else in those conditions.
There was a track invasion just before the race start. The starting procedure was delayed as one of the protesters had apparently put something on the track, with the green flag eventually brought out at 15:10. An official statement from Formula E said:
The race was temporarily delayed while local authorities responded to a protest action unrelated to the event. Security services quickly and safely contained the disruption. The event was able to proceed as planned.
Frijns had a good start to keep the lead, but it was a rather calm beginning overall, without crashes, which left the top 10 in the same order they had started. It’s evident that many drivers are already focusing on saving their battery.
Bird managed to make his way up to the top 10 overtaking Vandoorne and improving by two places his qualifying result.
On the 6th lap the attack mode valzer begins, with the ABT drivers going in immediately leaving Vergne in the lead. Later it’s his turn to get into the activation zone, leaving Evans in the lead. The Jaguar driver could be winning his third race in a row, after Sao Paulo and yesterday’s Berlin E-Prix.
Evans takes up his extra power, leaving Vergne in the lead, but shortly after the Frenchman is overtaken by Muller for P1. Things aren’t looking well for pole sitter Frijns, however, as he is quickly overtaken by both Porsche drivers and sits in P7.
Championship leader Pascal Wehrlein is now sitting in P3, just as Evans is back in the lead. Evans then returns in the activation zone for the second and last time, leaving the Porsche drivers in P2 and P3 behind Mueller.
Frijns has drifted back to P12. After a good start the Dutch driver unfortunately moved much further back in the grid.
Lotterer hit the wall ending up last, just as the Envisions and Vergne fight for the podium. Buemi takes advantage of the chaos to get in the lead, which leaves ABT’s Muller in P5 and former race leader Wehrlein in P2.
However, the whole top 10 is very close and there is a reshuffling at every turn. On Lap 16th we have Wehrlein back in the race lead as Mortara pits due to a puncture after hitting the wall and breaking his front wing.
On Lap 18th Buemi is back in the race lead, but is then overtaken by many drivers ending up in P6 for a Porsche 1-2. In the meantime, Bird hit the wall breaking his front wing. He has to return to the pits to repair his Jaguar.
Vergne tries to slit ahead of his former teammate Da Costa, but doesn’t manage to complete the move.
On the 21st lap Vergne returns in the lead. A very worried about his car Buemi has to see his front wing blow out of the car, leaving yesterday’s poleman out of the fight for the win and out of the top 20.
The front pack is joined by Di Grassi, and reshuffles to leave Wehrlein in the front followed by Vergne and Cassidy, who has gained multiple positions with a tight move on the inside and has so far completed the highest number of overtakes, 15.
The Envision driver takes the lead on lap 24th, ahead of Dennis and the championship leader. We also see yesterday’s third place finisher Maximilian Gunther in the top ten after a difficult start.
Da Costa is the driver who has the highest energy right now and he’s ready to make it count as he goes side-by-side with Evans at turn 1, getting P4 with thirteen laps to go.
The race appears to have crystallised a bit, with the top 6 remaining the same for about ten laps, featuring the main championship contenders.
On Lap 30th Gunther tries to pass Wehrlein but is unsuccessful, as Da Costa goes in P3 overtaking Vergne. In the back, Dan Ticktum has managed to make up ten positions to join the top 10 with also a 3% of power more than the other drivers ahead, which might prove to make for some interesting final laps.
Di Grassi goes for his second power boost as the head group has developed a 0.450s gap to the rest of the grid. Da Costa is once again overtaken by Vergne, who returns on the podium.
Former race leader Mueller returns into the points and overtakes Ticktum for P9, while Wehrlein is overtaken by Gunther.
The gap between Vergne and Evans has now increased to 1.18s due to Da Costa making slight contact with Evans. Both cars are able to continue racing in their track positions.
With three laps to go, Cassidy is still in the lead ahead of Dennis and Vergne while Evans is pushing to try and reach the podium. No further laps will be added to the full race length of 40 as safety cars weren’t issued.
The final laps sees Evans trying to make a move on Vergne, but the Frenchman manages to hold on his fourth podium finish of the season.
Nick Cassidy takes his first win of Gen3 and his second one in Formula E ahead of Jake Dennis and Jean-Eric Vergne, with Mitch Evans and Antonio Felix Da Costa to round up the top 5. The top 10 is completed by championship leader Wehrlein followed by Maxi Gunther, Stoffel Vandoorne, front row started Nico Muller for ABT’s first points of the season and Dan Ticktum.
