AN ACTION-PACKED MIAMI E-PRIX FOR DS AUTOMOBILES, WHICH HOLDS ONTO FOURTH PLACE IN THE STANDINGS ...

The Miami E-Prix, round five of Formula E Season 11, was not kind to DS Automobiles and PENSKE AUTOSPORT
After a tricky qualifying session, Jean-Éric Vergne and Maximilian Günther were unable to showcase their talents during the race
DS Automobiles nonetheless maintains its places in the top four of the Teams’ standings, before Monaco’s double-header from May 3-4

The famous Homestead Miami Speedway, which hosted round five of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, proved to be a tough encounter on Saturday. On very abrasive asphalt, neither Jean-Éric Vergne nor Maximilian Günther were able to exploit the strong potential of the DS E-TENSE FE25.

The two DS Automobiles drivers got underway from 17th and 22nd on the starting grid, but steadily made their way up the Miami E-Prix leaderboard. Yet luck would not be with them all the way to the flag. On lap 20, Maximilian was involved in a pile-up that brought out a red flag and ended his hopes of a good result. Forced to re-start at the back of the pack, the German driver was eventually classified 17th.

His teammate JEV also indirectly lost out because of the race stoppage. While running ninth, the Frenchman found himself without the benefit of Attack Mode for the final four laps. As a result, it was a difficult end to the race for him, crossing the finish line in 12th place.

While the French-American team left Miami without scoring, DS PENSKE still maintains its fourth place overall in the teams’ rankings, just four points off the provisional podium.

All attention now switches towards Monaco: the venue for the next two races on May 3-4. At the glittering principality, the DS Automobiles PENSKE AUTOSPORT drivers will be out for revenge during the most prestigious race weekend of the season.

Eugenio Franzetti, DS Performance director:

“One race follows another in Formula E, but none of them are similar. After weeks of preparation, we didn’t manage to meet the ambitious targets that we had set for ourselves in Miami. But that’s motorsport for you! The team still hangs on to fourth place in the overall standings, although we were aiming for much more. One thing is sure: we’re going to be working harder than ever to bounce back strongly in Monaco!”

Jean-Éric Vergne, 2018 and 2019 Formula E champion:

“It was an unlucky race for us. I think we had a very good car. I was able to make my way back up the leaderboard, despite making a small mistake on the grass. When it was time to activate my second Attack Mode, I was in a strong position to score points. Unfortunately, the red flag completely ruined my chances of finishing in the top 10. That’s a real shame, but we have to focus on the positive. Our race pace has become stronger, and from now on we will be fully concentrated on Monaco!”

Maximilian Günther:

“We had a very difficult weekend. Following a promising first practice session, we didn’t manage to find a good performance window on race day. I‘ve got to say that the surface was very abrasive and we suffered because of that. Qualifying didn’t match our expectations but we were still determined to run a good race with an intelligent strategy and optimal energy saving. That mission was nearly accomplished as we were close to the points before the incident that I was involved in. At the chicane, I was completely sandwiched, which really compromised the rest of my race.”