Straight after the opening ABB FIA Formula E race in Shanghai on Saturday, the all-electric series competitors returned to the track on Sunday for the second race in the Chinese double-header.
Qualifying once again underlined the very high level of competition, with small margins between the drivers. Jean-Éric Vergne was fifth in his group, missing the duels by only 13 thousandths of a second. Stoffel Vandoorne, by contrast, went through to the head-to-head shootouts.
The Belgian won his quarter-final and semi-final before losing out in the final by just a thousandth of a second. This marked the fourth time that Stoffel has secured the runner-up spot in qualifying this season and the eighth time in 12 events that a DS E-TENSE FE23 was on the front row: a strong indication of the performance of the French premium manufacturer’s single-seaters.
Race 2 took place over 28 laps, one less than the day before, and it started well for Stoffel Vandoorne, who grabbed the lead during the opening laps before losing a few positions. The 2022 world champion took the chequered flag in sixth place, just ahead of his teammate Jean-Éric Vergne.
The Frenchman was ninth on the starting grid and gained two positions in the race to score points for the 11th time this season, with 12 races run to date. JEV is still sixth in the drivers’ standings but moved closer to the top five this weekend by scoring a total of 17 points: more than the two drivers ahead of him. Stoffel Vandoorne retains ninth place, and the DS PENSKE team is still fourth in the teams’ ranking, just three points off the provisional podium.
Four races are still in store this year. After China (the first race in the country since 2019), the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship heads to the United States with a doubleheader scheduled for June 29-30 at the Portland International Raceway. Season 10 then concludes in London from July 20-21.
Key Figures Since DS Automobiles Entered Formula E:
- 117 races
- 4 championship titles
- 16 victories
- 50 podiums
- 23 pole positions
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