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| Crédito: DS AUTOMOBILES |
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Heat was the major challenge facing competitors in
round 4 of the ABB FIA Formula E world championship held in Sao Paulo
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After another strong showing in qualifying, Jean-Éric
Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne finished seventh and eighth respectively, bringing
home another solid points haul for DS Automobiles
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The DS Penske team thus leaves Brazil lying third in
the Teams classification, while Jean-Éric Vergne is fourth in the Drivers’
standings, although equal on points with the third placed driver
On the ABB FIA Formula E world
championship’s second visit to Brazil, the heat caused headaches for engineers
and drivers. The air was 35 degrees Celsius, the track was at over 50, so energy
management and battery temperature were a real concern. The opening phase of
the race was very strategic with plenty of overtaking and two appearances from
the Safety Car also put paid to some pre-arranged plans.
The discipline’s only two-times world
champion, Jean-Éric Vergne, again scored important points in seventh place,
which keeps him at the front end of the pack in the standings. The Frenchman is
currently fourth, although equal on points with the third placed driver. It’s
worth noting that JEV is one of only four drivers to have scored points in all
four opening rounds, thanks to good consistency, both from himself and from DS
Automobiles.
Finishing just behind his team-mate,
Stoffel Vandoorne is also racking up the scores, with three points finishes
from four races. The 2022 world champion was obviously hoping for better than
eighth place, given he started from the front row, but it just did not work out
in Brazil.
The ABB FIA Formula E world championship is
back in action in a fortnight’s time, on its first visit to Japan, with the
race scheduled to run through the streets of Tokyo on Saturday 30 March.
Eugenio Franzetti, Directeur of DS
Performance :
“We come away from this weekend
with mixed feelings. We did well in free practice and our qualifying
performance was excellent. Then in the Duels final, pole position escaped us by
just two thousandths, while our other car was third. After that, it was a
difficult race. We struggled to match the pace of some other competitors and in
the end, JEV came home seventh and Stoffel eighth. That still means useful
points for the championship, but not as many as we’d hoped for after
qualifying. There’s a lot of work ahead of us and we will do all we can to do
better in the next race in Tokyo.”
Jean-Éric Vergne, 2018 & 2019
Formula E champion :
“Let’s be honest, we’re disappointed. We had a really good qualifying to
line up second and third on the grid, but in the race maybe our strategy
decisions weren’t the best. Looking at the positives, we should be happy to see
we are competitive in qualifying and that once again we scored points with both
cars. The next race is only two weeks away and I hope we can fight back in
Japan.”
Stoffel Vandoorne, 2022 Formula E world champion 2022
:
“There were two sides to today for
the team, with a super qualifying followed by a rather more difficult race.
Given our one-lap pace, we could have expected to do better than seventh or
eighth. So naturally we are disappointed that we did not score more points. I
think we have to analyse our race and I reckon we have a lot to learn from it,
especially when it comes to strategy. We could have done a better job of
getting better track position. Knowing that should make us stronger for the
next round. On the positive side, we have proved to be very quick in qualifying
every time. It’s encouraging for the future and it gives us confidence for the
next race.”
Key figures since DS Automobiles entered Formula E:
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109 races
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4 championship titles
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16 victories
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48 podiums
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23 pole positions
PRESS CONTACTS
DS
Performance : Nathalie Dumas +33 (0) 6 60 26 10 37 –nathalie.dumas@external.stellantis.com
DS Automobiles : Benjamin
Maigre + 33 (0) 6 75 58 80 41 –
benjamin.maigre@dsautomobiles.com
ABOUT
DS AUTOMOBILES
Driven by the spirit of the avant-garde and backed by an exceptional
heritage, the DS brand, born in 2014, aims to embody the French art of travel.
Remarkable products, discernible French luxury savoir-faire, coupled with a
suite of bespoke services, DS Automobiles offers a unique experience before,
during and after every journey.
Designed for customers looking to stand out who want to travel the world
and enjoy every moment, DS models combine refinement and technology. With DS 3,
DS 4, DS 7 and DS 9, the DS brand offers a global range.
Based on numerous records since its entry into Formula E in 2015,
including double Teams’ and Drivers’ titles, DS Automobiles is at the forefront
of electrification by already selling each of its models with an electrified version.
Under the E-TENSE label, DS Automobiles offers 100% electric powertrains as
well as plug-in hybrids with up to 360 horsepower and 4-wheel drive. From 2024,
every new model launched by DS Automobiles will be 100% electric.
For its discerning customers, DS Automobiles has crafted a suite of
exclusive services, called “ONLY YOU, a wealth of attention.”
With a presence in 41 countries, the DS brand has created and is
developing an exclusive distribution network that includes 450 DS STORES
throughout the world.
Follow news from DS internationally on
www.DSautomobiles.com @ds_automobiles
ABOUT PENSKE AUTOSPORT
After many successful years competing in IndyCar
(2007-2014), the team embraced the shift to electric mobility and
became one of the founding teams of the ABB FIA Formula E World
Championship.
The team motto is the Latin phrase “E Pluribus
Unum” – meaning “out of many, there is one.
