"Still life in the old dog" - The e-Formula.news driver ratings for the Sao Paulo E-Prix 2024

Who would have thought that McLaren would celebrate its first Formula E victory in Sao Paulo of all places? And who would have thought that Sam Bird, of all people, would be at the top of the podium? Nobody, probably. But other drivers also shone in Brazil - sometimes under the most adverse conditions. Our driver rating.

After each round of the 2024 Formula E season, our editors award points on a scale between 1 and 10 for all drivers. They are then sorted according to their average rating score. The rating is based exclusively on driving performance, not the potential of the car or external circumstances. Editor Timo Pape comments on the top 3 performances at the E-Prix and the flop of the weekend.

1. Sam Bird | Neom McLaren | 9.8

His tears during the British anthem on the podium showed what winning the Sao Paulo E-Prix meant to Sam Bird - especially personally. Because since his last success at the New York City E-Prix in season 7, the veteran has been through various valleys. Last season with Jaguar in particular - characterised by team-internal collisions and mistakes - really hurt Bird.

What it means ?? @sambirdofficial @McLarenFE #SaoPauloEPrix pic.twitter.com/M5ZGTmzH29

- Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) March 17, 2024

"There's still life in this old dog," Bird radioed after crossing the finish line. He had proved this with a remarkable overtake against Mitch Evans shortly beforehand. Bird impressed throughout the entire race weekend: his pace was already good in practice and qualifying, and with a strategically clever race he finally achieved what nobody really had expected before the weekend - a maiden McLaren win in Jaguar country.

2. Max Günther | Maserati MSG Racing | 9.4

Max Günther may not have played a role on the podium, but his performance definitely deserved a trophy. The Maserati driver already knew before qualifying that victory would be out of reach for him. This was because he received two hefty penalties for swapping various components. Undeterred by this, the German put in a strong qualifying performance in which he was only beaten in the semi-final by pole-sitter Pascal Wehrlein.

Starting from last place on the grid, Günther served his stop-and-go penalty early on and rejoined the field thanks to a safety car period. He then fought his way up to ninth place in remarkable style - an improvement of 13 positions! His magnificent race to catch up was "only" rewarded with two points. However, he still secured outstanding ratings and surely a lot of respect in the paddock.

3. Oliver Rowland | Nissan | 8.4

While the two Porsche-powered rivals Pascal Wehrlein and Jake Dennis were battling for the last place on the podium, Oliver Rowland just chose a different line for the last corner - and took that last place on the podium for himself! This surprise attack was preceded by a strong, albeit unremarkable race in which Rowland managed his energy perfectly and at the same time fought his way to the front. Two podiums in a row - Nissan has made a really good catch with Rowland, because he gets the maximum out of his car and opportunities.

WHAT AN OVERTAKE! ?‍?@Oliverrowland1 gets past Dennis and Wehrlein in the last corner of the #SaoPauloEPrix, securing the final spot on the podium ? pic.twitter.com/ysHF1BZgS3

- Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) March 16, 2024

Flop of the E-Prix: Robin Frijns | Envision Racing | 1.6

Yes, Robin Frijns took part in Sao Paulo and even finished the race - as the last classified driver in 18th place. However, there is not much more to say about the Dutchman's performance. The world champion team Envision in general did not get on well at all in Brazil. But team-mate Sebastien Buemi at least finished tenth and scored a point - while Mitch Evans was fighting for victory in the identical car by the way. So it was primarily Envision that took homework from Sao Paulo. But Frijns also simply has to show his great potential more consistently.