Daniel Abt claims maiden Formula E success

Daniel Abt (Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler/Michelin) notched up the first Formula E victory of his career at Saturday’s Mexico City E-Prix. The German was joined on the podium by Oliver Turvey (2nd, NextEv NIO Sport/Michelin) and Sébastien Buemi (3rd, Renault e.dams/Michelin). 

After securing his fifth Formula E pole position, Felix Rosenqvist (Mahindra Racing) topped the order during the early part of the race and was three seconds clear of chaser Oliver Turvey when his all-electric single-seater came to halt. The Mahindra driver was able to re-start, in last position, but stopped for good shortly afterwards.

Turvey inherited the lead until the mid-race pit stops when a speedy car swap allowed Abt to re-emerge in front, closely tailed by Turvey, the championship’s provisional leader Jean-Eric Vergne (Techeetah) and Buemi.

Vergne ended up fifth, however, after being passed by Buemi and Nelson Piquet Jr (4th, Panasonic Jaguar Racing) in the race’s second half.

Daniel Abt is the tenth different driver to have won a Formula E E-Prix and the fourth different winner in as many races, while the final top five in Mexico City comprised five different teams.

A penalty relegated Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler) to last place on the grid but the defending champion fought back to ninth at the flag, helped by the fastest race lap.

Evans (Jaguar), Da Costa (Andretti) and Mortara (Venturi) were respectively sixth, seventh and eighth, and the top 10 was rounded out by Alex Lynn who was also handed a grid penalty, like his DS Virgin team-mate Sam Bird. Neither Rosenqvist nor Heidfeld succeeded in reaching the finish for Mahindra Racing.

Jean-Eric Vergne is now 12 and 20 points clear of Rosenqvist and Bird respectively in the provisional Drivers’ standings, while Techeetah’s position in the Teams’ standings was aided by Mahindra’s woes.

The next round will be held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on March 17.