Mitch Evans came from last to win first Formula E race of 2024/25 season in Sao Paulo EPrix, ahead of Antonio Felix da Costa and Taylor Barnard.
After a short delay with Robin Frijns’ Envision stranded on the grid, and the team informing him there was no time to power cycle, the field eventually reformed and flew away as the lights went out. The Nissan of Oliver Rowland got the edge into Turn 1 on polesitter and reigning champion Wehrlein, with Max Guenther in the DS PENSKE squeezing by at Turn 2.
The pack was three wide through the chicane midway around the lap and the major beneficiary on Lap 1 looked to be Mitch Evans – the Jaguar driver climbing seven spots form 22nd and last to 15th. Dennis dropped further, with da Costa and Vergne able to make it by on Lap 2 at Turn 1 and Turn 4, respectively, while Rowland continued to head the way.
Lap 3 saw Jake Hughes (Maserati MSG Racing) and Nico Mueller (Andretti) come to blows through no fault of their own on the exit of Turns 5 & 6 as CUPRA KIRO’s David Beckmann gave them a nudge – both cars becoming entangled and in the wall, forcing a Safety Car. On Lap 7, Rowland led the pack away once again.
Cassidy, Vandoorne, di Grassi and Barnard too the opportunity to take the first of their two – eight minute total – mandatory 50kW ATTACK MODE boosts, driving through the activation zone which, in GEN3 Evo, also unlocks four-wheel drive. On rejoining the pack, though, Brazilian di Grassi got into contact leaving him well down the pack.
Wehrlein dropped back through the pack to fifth spot, while Cassidy utilised that ATTACK MODE, worth maybe two seconds a lap, to tear through the order by Rowland and into P1 and to a one-second lead – having started 10th on the grid. Those that went early looked to be profiting, with Vandoorne climbing to third. On Lap 9, Guenther made the jump for his first boost, with the Porsche pair following a lap later.
Meanwhile, Rowland was battling hard in P2 having yet to take either of his two ATTACK MODE boosts. He couldn’t hold fellow Brit Dennis back and come Lap 13 the Andretti made it by for second. Cassidy led Dennis, Rowland, Evans, Guenther, Werhlein, da Costa, Buemi, Vandoorne and Vergne formed the top 10 on Lap 13, with energy remaining among each of them looking pretty even – except Rowland who was 1.6% up on the lead Jaguar, yet to take ATTACK MODE. The Nissan driver hit the front again on Lap 14, bypassing Cassidy before taking a first two-minute ATTACK MODE on Lap 16.
The Jaguars looked far better placed in the race than they had in Free Practice or qualifying with Cassidy second and staggeringly, Evans third – from last on the grid. Meanwhile, the Porsches were working away with Wehrlein in ATTACK MODE two on Lap 18 in fourth spot and da Costa in P7. Only two laps later, though the Porsches had worked their way in tandem to the front – Wehrlein refusing to yield to his teammate with both in ATTACK as the pair filtered through the first sector. Da Costa had a minute more of his 50kW boost, and four-wheel drive, and duly the Portuguese made it by his teammate for the lead on Lap 21 over the start/finish line.
Rowland was the one to watch as the race headed into its final third, with six minutes of ATTACK MODE to make use of with the benefit worth more than two seconds a lap. It took him just half a lap to slice by both Porsches and retake the lead on Lap 22 down the pit straight. That said, Cassidy still had one of his ATTACK MODE boosts to use, with nobody else around him having any left. He sat sixth as a Red Flag was flown with Dennis’ Andretti stranded in ‘Red Car mode’ – requiring safe recovery.
Again, Rowland fired away to blast pass da Costa to retake the lead off the line on the restart to a 1.1 second lead on Lap 26 but a penalty of overpower hanging over the Nissan. Cassidy played his joker on Lap 27, with that final ATTACK MODE boost firing him into third past the Porsche pair of Wehrlein and da Costa with Guenther’s DS in his sights – despatching the German into Turn 1 a lap later for P2. Rowland had pulled a three-second lead but that penalty would come back to haunt him – a drive-through penalty left Cassidy first and Evans second on Lap 30 of 35.
However, Evans unreal journey from last on the grid was topped off as he fired to the front past his teammate into Turn 1. A lap later, da Costa managed to spoil the Jaguar party and split the pair but contact between Cassidy and Wehrlein on the exit of Turn 2 left the champion’s car on its side and in the wall but thankfully okay – another Red Flag with six laps to run. On the restart, Evans and da Costa led away a rolling start with the McLarens of Barnard and Bird next up – the former almost 4% up on energy to those around him. That lead quartet, with three laps to go, were scrapping hard – but Evans overcame to hold off the rest.
Result: https://x.com/MsportXtra/status/1865470501248008587
[The story is as per press release]
