António Félix da Costa displayed extraordinary poise and expertise to claim victory at the Hankook Portland E-Prix, Round 13 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. A late mistake by current World Championship leader Nick Cassidy dramatically altered the race outcome, allowing da Costa to secure the win.
Cassidy and Jaguar TCS Racing were initially set for a decisive victory at the Portland International Raceway. The New Zealander took the lead on Lap 23, with just four laps remaining. His teammate, Mitch Evans, despite a five-second penalty for an early collision, played a perfect supporting role by overtaking da Costa, setting up what seemed like a sure one-two finish for Jaguar.
However, Cassidy’s control wavered in the penultimate lap. A misjudgment at Turn 11 caused him to take too much kerb, sending his I-TYPE 6 off the asphalt and across the grass, dropping him to 19th place. This error handed the victory to da Costa, who now boasts three wins from the last four races. This race, the fastest in Formula E history with an average speed of 152.041 km/h (94.474 mph), cements da Costa’s position as the man to beat, highlighting his dramatic turnaround from a challenging season start.
Jean-Éric Vergne of DS PENSKE finished third, followed by Mahindra Racing’s Edoardo Mortara in fourth – a season-best result for both the team and the driver. Nico Müller (ABT CUPRA) finished fifth after a race-long battle at the front, ahead of reigning World Champion Jake Dennis, who placed sixth on home soil for Andretti Formula E.
Sam Bird made a remarkable recovery from 19th to finish seventh, while Evans, after serving his penalty, crossed the line in eighth. DS PENSKE’s Stoffel Vandoorne and TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein rounded out the top ten. Cassidy’s late error allowed Wehrlein to reduce Cassidy’s lead in the standings to 24 points, with Evans trailing by an additional three points in third place.
In the Manufacturers’ Championship, TAG Heuer Porsche closed the gap on Jaguar TCS Racing, trailing by 55 points, with a current standing of 370 points to 354.
Round 14 of Season 10 continues at Portland International Raceway tomorrow, Sunday, June 30. Tickets are still available for those who want to experience all the action, with the race starting at 2 PM local time.
For full Drivers’, Teams’, and Manufacturers’ standings, click here.
Quotes from the Drivers
António Félix da Costa, No. 13, Tag Heuer Porsche Formula E:
“I’m super happy obviously. We knew the type of racing we were going to get, and everybody is getting super good at it. The race was never flat out, because everybody was pushing so hard to be at the front that it’s hard to build up a buffer to be flat out eventually. I’ve been on the other side of the coin on this one so yeah, just great momentum to be honest. I’m just really happy with how it’s going.
“I’ve had bad times in my career before, and what I had at the beginning of this year was probably a bit more extreme. Everybody wanted to go in the same direction for us to be able to come out of the slump. I knew we were gonna be able to make it, it’s just not nice when you’re there. I’ve learned a lot about myself, about people, about sports, about everything. I think when you have bad times and you take the good stuff out of it you become a little bit stronger. Everyone here has been up and down in their life at some point, it’s racing so that’s why I will never take it for granted. I’ll celebrate because I know how hard it is to win these days, so yeah I’ll definitely take this one!”
Robin Frijns, No. 4, Envision Racing:
“We were always up front, and that was the goal. I think the strategy calls we made in the background were really good, the team really helped me to stay where I was and to finish where I was. I’m happy with the race, I just missed that little edge on set-up which I think we can improve tomorrow, but we’re here to fight and we’ll fight another day tomorrow.
“We’ve been in a bit of a downward spiral recently which has been tough for the team, and for the drivers as well. We have a good car underneath us and we are quick in free practices most of the time, but in the races we’ve had bad luck, punctures and things. Now finally, something came together, we have a podium and we can celebrate, and hopefully another one tomorrow.”
Jean-Éric Vergne, No. 25, DS PENSKE:
“I’m really happy finishing third, but today starting where I started at the back I’m very happy with how the race went. I think it was very good and for the team Penske and on the home side of Jay [Penske] so I’m happy to bring him a podium today and those are good points for the team championship, so it was a good day. It started quite bad in qualifying, but I’m happy to have such a comeback in the race.”
American Stars Experience the Thrills of the Hankook Portland E-Prix
American actor and filmmaker Brie Larson made a notable appearance at Round 13 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship during the Hankook Portland E-Prix. During her time, Brie experienced the drama of the E-Prix first-hand from the Nissan Formula E Team garage, where she watched the intense qualifying session. Adding to the excitement, Brie had the opportunity to take an exhilarating lap in the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC, offering her a thrilling perspective on the high-speed action and cutting-edge technology of Formula E racing. The highlight of her visit was proudly waving the chequered flag to mark the race’s end.
Additionally, American actor Sung Kang joined the excitement of the double-header as a spectator, having enjoyed his time at the Tokyo E-Prix. The Fast and Furious star brought an extra touch of excitement to the event, warmly reconnecting with old friends and fans alike, while immersing himself in the atmosphere of the racing series. Sung will return for Round 14 on Sunday, June 30 for another unforgettable day at the track.
Source: Formula E
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