Jeddah ePrix | Pascal Wehrlein wins 100th race

After Mitch Evans claimed a win at the Miami ePrix, Formula E headed to Jeddah for its first double header of the season. Going into the weekend, Nick Cassidy leading the standings. Max Gunther topped FP1 on Thursday, Dan Ticktum topped FP2 on Friday and Jake Dennis topped FP3 on Saturday.

13th February

Qualifying

Qualifying started with two groups. In Group One, Edoardo Mortara, Norman Nato, Nico Muller, and Jean-Eric Vergne advanced to the duels. Mortara faced Muller, while Nato faced Vergne. In Group Two, Pascal Wehrlein, Antonio Felix da Costa, Gunther and Taylor Barnard also made it through to the duels. Wehrlein competed against Barnard, and da Costa took on Gunther.

In the quarterfinals, the first round of the duels, Nato, Mortara, Gunther and Wehrlein progressed to the semifinals. There, Nato went head-to-head with Mortara, while Gunther battled Wehrlein for a place in the final. The final saw Mortara take on Gunther, with Mortara claiming pole position and earning three valuable points.

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Race One

The race start was delayed because Nyck de Vries was out of position, and there were technical difficulties. De Vries was wheeled away due to the issues and was considered a possible DNS, if not a DNF. There was a big burnout from Mortara, which allowed Gunther to take the lead, while Barnard quickly moved into second place.

On lap one, Zane Maloney retired after making contact, which brought out a yellow flag and then the safety car. Sadly for De Vries, he was unable to take part in the race because of the technical issues he experienced during the formation lap. On lap four, the race returned to green-flag conditions after Maloney’s car was cleared. Wehrlein then gained several positions through one corner.

During the race, there was only one Attack Mode because the drivers had a mandatory Pit Boost that they could use at any time. Drivers could activate the Pit Boost either before or after using Attack Mode. Most drivers were expected to use it around lap 15. However, it became a case of who would go first. The drivers running from first to around 11th place waited. They delayed their stops until they felt the timing was right.

On lap 16, Marcus Ericsson missed his pit box while attempting to take the Pit Boost. This mistake cost him several positions. It also resulted in a drive-through penalty. Meanwhile, Oliver Rowland lost two to three places by delaying his Pit Boost while most other drivers took theirs. This was a risky move, as taking it earlier could have helped him gain several positions instead.

In the final six laps of the race, Ticktum expressed his frustration. He felt he had taken his Attack Mode too early. Drivers behind him, who had not yet used theirs, were able to overtake him. This proved true when Barnard, Mortara, and Nato all passed him. FIA added an extra lap for the early incident with Maloney.

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Top Ten

1. Pascal Wehrlein
2. Edoardo Mortara
3. Mitch Evans
4. Nico Muller
5. Antonio Felix da Costa
6. Nick Cassidy
7. Sebastian Buemi
8. Jean-Eric Vergne
9. Jake Dennis
10. Taylor Barnard

14th February

Qualifying

Qualifying started with two groups. In Group One, Rowland, Gunther, Vergne and Mortara advanced to the duels. Rowland faced Gunther, while Vergne faced Mortara. In Group Two, Buemi, Dennis, Cassidy and da Costa also made it through to the duels. Buemi competed against Dennis, and Cassidy took on da Costa.

In the quarterfinals, Rowland, Mortara, Dennis, and da Costa progressed to the semifinals. There, Rowland went head-to-head with Mortara, while Dennis battled da Costa for a place in the final. The final saw Mortara take on Dennis, with Mortara claiming his second pole position in Jeddah and earning another three valuable points.

Image Credit: Formula E

Race Two

Before the race, de Vries was given a 60-place grid penalty for changing car parts overnight. He was also given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty in the pit lane. Mortara made a strong start. Da Costa and Dennis battled for second place. This allowed Mortara to build a small lead over Dennis. A few corners later, Rowland took the lead from Mortara.

Buemi took the lead from Rowland by lap four. He executed a well-timed overtaking move through the last few corners of the track. From lap four to 18, the drivers swapped positions to conserve energy. On lap 18, a puncture cost Dennis his chance of winning the race. On lap 22, Mortara and Rowland made contact, which forced Mortara off the track. As the race entered its final few laps, Attack Mode became an essential tool. It allowed drivers to overtake those who had completed its use. These crucial moves occurred just seconds before the end of the race. On lap 29, the Cupra Kiro drivers battled for position. Marti hit the wall but managed to continue without serious damage. Da Costa finished first, with Buemi and Rowland in second and third.

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Top Ten

1. Antonio Felix da Costa
2. Sébastien Buemi
3. Oliver Rowland
4. Edoardo Mortara
5. Dan Ticktum
6. Pepe Marti
7. Mitch Evans
8. Pascal Wehrlein
9. Jean-Eric Vergne
10. Taylor Barnard

Formula E heads to Madrid for the Madrid ePrix for the first time, on 21st March.

Feature Image Credit: Formula E

Edited by Alexandra.

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