DS AUTOMOBILES AND JEAN-ÉRIC VERGNE TAKE ANOTHER TOP 10 FINISH IN BERLIN | DS Automobiles

May 21, 2024

28 3 minutes read

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Having claimed a 50^th podium with Jean-Éric Vergne the day before, DS Automobiles and its partner PENSKE AUTOSPORT took another top 10 finish on Sunday,

Driving the DS E-TENSE FE23, Jean-Eric Vergne claimed a point for 10^th place

After the first 10 rounds of the season, DS PENSKE is in strong contention for the provisional podium in the teams’ championship

After taking the 50^th podium finish for DS Automobiles on Saturday at the historic Tempelhof airport venue with Jean-Éric Vergne, the DS PENSKE drivers took to the track again on Sunday for the second race of the Berlin E-Prix. Starting from eighth and ninth respectively on the grid, Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Éric Vergne were once more determined to make their mark on the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The second race took on a similar complexion to the first encounter held yesterday, with plenty of overtaking, several incidents, and two Safety Car periods.

Despite his DS E-TENSE FE23 being damaged by contact, Frenchman Jean-Éric Vergne gave it everything to get into the top 10. The two-time Formula E champion’s efforts were rewarded when he claimed the point for 10^th place at the finish.

For Stoffel Vandoorne, Sunday’s race was a lot trickier. While he was fighting hard in the middle of the pack, the Belgian had to come into the pits halfway through the race as a result of a brush with another competitor. This put an end to Stoffel’s chances of capitalising on his strong performance.

Following the double-header in Berlin, DS PENSKE now occupies fourth place in the teams’ standings while Jean-Éric Vergne is currently sixth in the drivers’ classification. With six races still to run before the end of Season 10, the story is far from over for DS Automobiles and PENSKE AUTOSPORT when it comes to the fight for podium places in both championships.

The next two rounds of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will take place in Shanghai, China, from May 25-26.

Eugenio Franzetti, DS Performance Director:

“Today’s race for us was very different from yesterday’s. Our drivers found themselves stuck in the middle of the pack straight away, which is a tough situation to be in as there’s often a lot of contact. And that’s exactly what happened: Stoffel fell victim to an accident and had to stop and change his front wing, while JEV suffered damage to his car that prevented him from being on the pace of the leaders. But in the end, the weekend was a positive one that allowed us to score precious championship points, with the satisfaction of a second place on Saturday as well. We head home feeling confident thanks to our performances, and with the knowledge that hard work always pays off. As of this evening, we’re already thinking about the next races in Shanghai.”

Jean-Éric Vergne, 2018 and 2019 Formula E champion:

“The start was a bit difficult to manage, but I was able to save energy for the rest of the race. Step by step I was moving towards the front, but then I was hit in the traffic. Some parts of the car were damaged and it was hard to drive properly. From that moment on, it was just a question of damage limitation and bringing the car home. I’m obviously disappointed about the final result because the team did a very good job in giving me a competitive car for both qualifying and the race.”

Stoffel Vandoorne, 2022 Formula E champion:

“It was tricky for us today. Nonetheless, the day got off to a good start with a promising performance in qualifying. In the race, the first few laps went well, but contact with another driver stopped us in our tracks. The front wing got broken and then folded itself under the car, which forced me into the pits. Even when I got going again, there was still some obvious damage, so there was nothing really left to fight for. It’s frustrating, but that’s just motorsport sometimes.”

Key figures since DS Automobiles entered Formula E: