Formula E

Formula E in Shanghai: Günther wins on Saturday, Vergne secures DS 1-2 victory in last corner

Timo Pape

Timo Pape

FIA Formula E

Max Günther won Saturday's Formula E race in Shanghai. With a flawless performance and a good strategy, the German crossed the finish line with a seven-second lead. His team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne finished second to complete the double victory for DS Penske - thanks to a surprising double overtaking manoeuvre in the final corners! Taylor Barnard finished third ahead of Dan Ticktum and Oliver Rowland.

At the start, everyone got away well - especially Pascal Wehrlein, who took the lead from third on the grid! But there were already a lot of position changes in the first two laps. Oliver Rowland, among others, immediately made his claim and was to take the lead shortly afterwards.

The first accident occurred on lap 2: Jean-Eric Vergne, Edo Mortara and Nick Cassidy drove side by side through the final corner until contact was made. Mortara drove into the side of Cassidy on the turn-in and spun him. The Jaguar driver (like Mortara) subsequently dropped to the back of the field - behind his team-mate Mitch Evans, who had served a 10-second stop-and-go penalty early on.

At the start of lap 6, Stoffel Vandoorne made slight contact with Rowland in Turn 1, forcing the Nissan driver to make a wide turn and lose three places. Nyck de Vries took the lead. Then the first drivers took their first of two mandatory Attack Modes. This allowed Lucas di Grassi, for example, to move up to second place. After twelve laps, Nico Müller was the first driver to take his Pit Boost.

Pit Boost separates the leading group

At the halfway point of the race, around half of the riders had recharged. As a result, there were two groups of riders battling for the lead, far apart from each other. Rowland led one group ahead of Wehrlein and de Vries, while Müller led the other ahead of Günther and Antonio Felix da Costa. Rowland came in for a Pit Boost at the end of lap 16 and returned to the track just ahead of Günther. However, the DS driver was in Attack Mode and took the lead a few corners later.

One lap later, Wehrlein also pitted and returned to the track between Günther and Rowland. The Porsche driver - unlike the other two and Taylor Barnard - had no Attack Mode left. Günther was also in a very good position in terms of energy levels, as was Rowland. On lap 20 of 29, Barnard was the first driver in the leading group to fire up his final four-minute Attack Mode. Consequently, he took the lead on lap 21 and pulled away slightly.

As a result, Rowland also reacted one lap later and went into Attack Mode. However, in seventh place, he now had a few overtaking manoeuvres ahead of him. Another lap later, Günther also drove through the attack zone. The decisive minutes began. Norman Nato had also quietly worked his way into the top three. He let his Nissan team-mate Rowland past, who was now chasing Barnard. On lap 24, he overtook the Briton and took the lead.

Packed final phase with surprises

Günther was now in second place directly behind Rowland and had Attack Mode for one more lap. This allowed him to catch the championship leader on the start and finish straight. In the battle for the podium, a thrilling three-way fight developed between Barnard, Nato and Dan Ticktum, who had worked his way forwards largely unnoticed. However, Barnard orientated himself towards the front and attacked Rowland. With a great manoeuvre, he overtook his compatriot for 2nd place! A little later, Ticktum also attacked Rowland and passed the world championship leader on the long straight!

Günther began the last lap of the race with a comfortable lead, but it was still very exciting behind him. Ticktum attacked Barnard in turn 1, but stayed behind! Then it got even crazier: Ticktum attacked Barnard again in the final chicane, but Barnard continued to defend. As a result, Vergne saw his chance, attacked on the inside and moved up to second place - while his team-mate Günther was already driving to victory! Double victory for DS Penske - boundless jubilation in the garage!

Rowland remains comfortably in the lead in the world championship after his fifth place. Barnard improved to second place and Günther also made a big leap to fifth place. In the teams' standings, DS Penske climbed to third place behind Nissan and Porsche thanks to 46 points. The same order applies in the manufacturers' standings. The next Formula E race will take place in less than 24 hours. The electric series will then race in Shanghai for the second time. The race starts again at 9 a.m. (CEST).

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Overall standings (drivers, teams & manufacturers)

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