Pascal Wehrlein took the Formula E win in Miami EPrix after penalties to handful of drivers, as Lucas di Grassi was P2 and Antonio Felix da Costa in P3.
Nato led away off the line with da Costa jumping Dennis and de Vries working his way up from fifth to third. De Vries made it to the front over the start/finish, with the field content to feel their way into what would be a demanding race on usable energy. Lap 5 saw Nato re-inherit the lead with da Costa and de Vries in tow as the pack raced three and four wide.
Lap 11 and the front runners began to make use of the first of their two mandatory 50kW power-boosting ATTACK MODE activations – with Vandoorne and de Vries jumping first, with the latter leaping to the head of the pack to start Lap 12. De Vries led Nato, da Costa, Vandoorne, Frijns, Buemi, Mortara, Bird, Barnard and Dennis rounded out the top 10 – with da Costa in the Porsche by far the most efficient on energy as things stood, some three percent to the good on those around him.
Nico Mueller hit the front on Lap 15, making up 17 positions on his grid slot before da Costa took P1 that same tour, with teammate Wehrlein joining him at the head of the pack as the Porsche pair took ATTACK. Lap 17 of 26 and the Safety Car was briefly required for a tour while de Vries reset his stricken Mahindra – the Dutchman managing to stay in the running, albeit down in 21st position.
Da Costa led the pack away with the race green once again on Lap 19. The leader jumped for his second ATTACK on Lap 21, but that proved torrid timing. Hughes clouted the wall at the chicane hard – with Max Guenther and Mitch Evans collected in the melee and forcing a Red Flag stoppage for the track to be cleared.
The race resumed with a standing start and a five lap sprint to the finish – da Costa leading teammate Wehrlein, Mortara, Frijns, di Grassi, Nato, Bird, Cassidy, Vergne and Mueller away. More than half the pack immediately jumped for their second and final ATTACK MODE activations on Lap 23 – teeing up a frenetic finish.
Wehrlein, with that 50kW boost in-hand over his teammate, made it by half way around the next tour, with Frijns also slicing beyond the Season 6 champion into second spot and polesitter Nato following. The issue, though, looked to be that the majority didn’t have time to use their alotted ATTACK MODE activations before the chequered flag. Net, it looked like a maiden podium could be on for ABT Lola via Lucas di Grassi. Nato rounded the winner, but post-race penalties left Wehrlein the net victor.
[The story is as per press release]
