Formula E: Fast Buemi remains winless
ANOTHER PODIUM PLACE Although Sébastien Buemi was the fastest in both practice sessions at the final Formula E double-header in New York, the Swiss driver had to settle for a podium place. As expected, the champion is Jean-Eric Vergne. On Saturday in the dry and on Sunday on a semi-wet surface, Sébastien Buemi turned the fastest lap in super pole qualifying on the Brooklyn [...]
On Saturday in the dry and on Sunday on a semi-wet surface, Sébastien Buemi set the fastest lap in Super Pole qualifying on the Brooklyn Circuit in New York. However, the 29-year-old from Vaud was unable to capitalize on his ideal starting position.
Storming to the top
Techeetah and Audi had the fastest electric racing cars over the distance. Lucas di Grassi, who had recently won in Zurich, stormed to the top in the Audi e-tron FE04 from eleventh on the grid.
With Daniel Abt in tow, the Brazilian secured the German team's second one-two victory of the season. For Sébastien Buemi, only third place remained, 2.5 seconds behind.
Meanwhile, Vergne had to line up at the back of the grid in his Techeetah Renault due to a technical infringement. The race to catch up brought the Frenchman up to fifth position.
This was enough to secure the drivers' title, as the last direct rival Sam Bird (DS Virgin) only finished in ninth position.
Four victories for the fourth champion
This makes Vergne the fourth different champion in the first four years of the FIA Formula E Championship, which many media outlets persistently refer to as the world championship.
Although it is a global FIA championship, it is incomprehensibly still without the official status of a World Championship. Only Formula 1, the WEC (endurance racing), the WRC (rally) and rallycross have this status.
In Sunday's race, Jean-Eric Vergne crowned his successful season with his fourth win of the season in the car of the Chinese team Techeetah, which sourced its electric motor, electronics and gearbox from Renault.
The new champion, who started third on the grid, snatched the lead from pole setter Buemi on the first corner and never relinquished it under increasing pressure from Lucas di Grassi towards the end of the race.
For the dethroned champion, however, this was just enough to secure the runner-up title at the expense of the once again hapless Brit Sam Bird.
Team title goes to Germany at the last moment
Buemi at least tried again to save the last place on the podium, but Daniel Abt snatched it with a little more available energy in the Audi.
With the additional point for the fastest race lap, the Allgäuer secured the team title for his team with a two-point lead over Techeetah.
Had André Lotterer not produced a false start, which cost him a possible podium finish due to the subsequent penalty, this prestigious title would have gone to Techeetah.
The Renault works team, team champions for the first three years, finished fifth behind DS Virgin and Mahindra with the points scored by Sébastien Buemi and Nicolas Prost.
Conciliatory end to a difficult season
For Sébastien Buemi, the 2015/16 champion, the fourth multi-year season ended on Sunday evening CEST with a fourth place in the final race and in the championship.
Sébastien Buemi: "When you're on pole, you're obviously not satisfied with third and fourth place. Nevertheless, it was a positive end to a tricky season for us. We knew that we had a fast car over one lap and that we lacked a bit of speed in the race. So we were the best on both days behind cars that were clearly faster. I would have liked to have given Renault another win or a podium as a farewell present. This chapter is now over and we will concentrate on the fifth season as soon as possible."
Sébastien Buemi will contest this with Nissan. It begins on December 15 in Saudi Arabia and ends again in New York on July 14.
The Zurich E-Prix is scheduled as the last race in Europe on June 9, 2019 (Whit Sunday).
