Sam Bird achieved an impressive victory at the Sao Paulo E-Prix, marking the team's first triumph in Formula E. The race, characterized by energy management strategies and overheating challenges, culminated with a thrilling overtake on the final lap by Bird.
Starting from fifth position, Bird maintained a consistent performance throughout the race. However, he faced the complexity of managing energy and overheating, briefly losing the lead to Mitch Evans with six laps remaining. The race, extended to 34 laps due to two safety car periods, presented a tactical battle until the end.
The decisive moment came on the last lap. Bird, closely following Evans, executed an overtake at the fast left turn of lap 10 and secured his position at the 90-degree turn of lap 11. This move granted him his first victory since 2021 and the first for McLaren in this championship.
Evans, who faced battery issues in the extreme heat conditions, managed to secure second place, while Oliver Rowland of Nissan completed the podium thanks to an exceptional maneuver on the last turn, overtaking Jake Dennis and Pascal Wehrlein.
The race began with Pascal Wehrlein leading from pole position, closely followed by Stoffel Vandoorne. Antonio Felix da Costa's standout performance, quickly advancing in the early laps, was notable. The 'peloton' style of racing, focused on conserving energy, was a key tactic in this E-Prix.
Several incidents, including a crash by Nick Cassidy due to a damaged front wing, impacted the race dynamics. Cassidy, the championship points leader, was forced to retire, altering the positions on the field.
| POS | DRIVER | TEAM | DIFFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Bird | NEOM MCLAREN FORMULA E TEAM | - |
| 2 | Mitch Evans | JAGUAR TCS RACING | +0:00:564 |
| 3 | Oliver Rowland | NISSAN FORMULA E TEAM | +0:03:540 |
| 4 | Pascal Wehrlein | TAG HEUER PORSCHE FORMULA E TEAM | +0:03:629 |
| 5 | Jake Dennis | ANDRETTI FORMULA E | +0:03:722 |
| 6 | António Félix Da Costa | TAG HEUER PORSCHE FORMULA E TEAM | +0:05:567 |
| 7 | Jean-Éric Vergne | DS PENSKE | +0:06:006 |
| 8 | Stoffel Vandoorne | DS PENSKE | +0:06:817 |
| 9 | Maximilian Günther | MASERATI MSG RACING | +0:08:085 |
| 10 | Sébastien Buemi | ENVISION RACING | +0:08:610 |
| 11 | Sacha Fenestraz | NISSAN FORMULA E TEAM | +0:09:277 |
| 12 | Edoardo Mortara | MAHINDRA RACING | +0:09:762 |
| 13 | Lucas Di Grassi | ABT CUPRA FORMULA E TEAM | +0:10:819 |
| 14 | Nyck De Vries | MAHINDRA RACING | +0:13:677 |
| 15 | Jehan Daruvala | MASERATI MSG RACING | +0:14:379 |
| 16 | Dan Ticktum | ERT FORMULA E TEAM | +0:17:884 |
| 17 | Norman Nato | ANDRETTI FORMULA E | +0:18:889 |
| 18 | Robin Frijns | ENVISION RACING | +0:19:124 |
| 19 | Jake Hughes | NEOM MCLAREN FORMULA E TEAM | - |
| 20 | Nick Cassidy | JAGUAR TCS RACING | - |
| 21 | Sérgio Sette Câmara | ERT FORMULA E TEAM | - |
| 22 | Nico Müller | ABT CUPRA FORMULA E TEAM | - |
2024-07-20
20:00
2024-07-21
20:00
