Sebastien Buemi is back on top with a Race 2 win in Formula E weekend in Monaco EPrix, ahead of Oliver Rowland and Nick Cassidy.
Rowland chopped over de Vries to lead up the hill towards Casino Square. Discipline was the watchword with the track still slick, and the pack made it around the opening lap cleanly. Buemi, Ticktum and Dennis were the first to jump for the initial of their mandatory two doses of that 50kW, four-wheel drive ATTACK MODE boosts – sensible going early given the slick conditions on Lap 2.
Despite the pack behind taking ATTACK MODE, Rowland managed to hold onto the lead until Lap 6. Vergne had found his way into P2 with Buemi following by de Vries, who had been running second. The DS PENSKE driver bypassed Rowland for the lead as it stood with that extra 50kW on tap, through the tunnel, and he steered to a four second advantage by Lap 6.
Di Grassi was running well on the cusp of the points but found himself falling foul of the conditions and in the wall at Portier on Lap 6, forcing a Full Course Yellow. An overexhuberent move for P8 from Ticktum on Cassidy saw the former down the escape road and shuffled down to 18th on Lap 10. Nicely recovered but that’s all but a pointless end to what looked a promising weekend.
Vergne led Rowland by three seconds on Lap 11, with de Vries, Guenther, Buemi, da Costa, Vandoorne, Cassidy, Maloney and Dennis made up the top 10. The Safety Car was called upon on Lap 14 for the recovery of Nico Mueller’s stricken Andretti in Casino Square after he slipped wide into the wall. We were green once again on Lap 15 with Rowland sitting pretty, energy and two ATTACK MODE activations in-hand on leader Vergne.
Buemi made two smart moves – one around the outside of the Hairpin and one on the inside of the chicane on da Costa then Guenther, respectively, to make up ground to P4 on Lap 16 – nice work from the driver with more wins (two) than any other around Monaco. Rowland went for ATTACK on Lap 18, only losing a single spot – to Mahindra’s de Vries. The Brit failed with a move on the Mahindra at the chicane but over the start/finish he made that second place back and set about Vergne on Lap 19.
At the chicane Rowland pounced, but looked to have cut the chicane in trying to pass JEV. In the ensuing melee and avoiding action, the double champion bogged down and cost himself a spot to de Vries, slipping from what was the race lead to third – although Rowland looked to be in trouble with the stewards.
De Vries’ second ATTACK mode on Lap 20 and made it count to pass Rowland for the lead – Buemi, in the meantime, also in ATTACK MODE, made it by Vergne for third before dispatching Rowland himself on the same tour – Lap 21. The Swiss made his 50kW boost count with the extra four-wheel drive out of Sainte Devote with the move on de Vries for the lead – better traction and a simple pass up the hill.
Rowland took his opportunity having jumped for ATTACK number two to give track position back to Vergne for that earlier infraction – Buemi led de Vries, Vergne, Rowland, Cassidy and Wehrlein the top six on Lap 22. The overlap on ATTACK saw Rowland outdrag Vergne on the run to Tabac on Lap 23 – third place back in the hands of the standings leader. Up Beau Rivage on the next lap, he sliced by de Vries for second, too, though Buemi was three seconds up the road.
Nick Cassidy in the Jaguar had brought himself into the reckoning with energy in-hand – up 11 spots from the start and now past de Vries into third. Buemi looked to have it in-hand with the laps ticking down – able to hold a four second lead to Rowland as the field began to string out in the sprint to the finish with the track drying. Duly, he made it stick and took the chequered flag – four seconds clear of Rowland, while Cassidy followed in third.
Here’s how Race 1 in Formula E Monaco EPrix panned out
[The story is as per press release]
