Reigning champion Nyck de Vries (Mercedes-EQ) claimed a dramatic victory in Diriyah on Friday night as the 2022 ABB FIA Formula E season went green in Saudi Arabia.
De Vries overcame a crash in Free Practice 1 that ruled him out of Friday’s action to make it a second year in succession that the 26-year-old crossed the line first in Diriyah, beating teammate Stoffel Vandoorne to first-place after a costly mistake from his counterpart in the middle of the contest.
Vandoorne had earlier gotten the better of De Vries in a semi-final head-to-head on route to clinching a famous pole by emerging victorious in the first ever rounds of qualifying Duels.
Once the race was up and running, Vandoorne held that lead for more than 20 minutes of the 45 minute, plus one lap race before surrendering his advantage to De Vries with an error as he attempted to enter ATTACK MODE.
The Belgian not only missed the activation zone, but also allowed his Dutch colleague to sneak on the inside as Vandoorne went wide in search of a power boost.
It ultimately proved decisive, as De Vries comfortably held firm ahead of Vandoorne and Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti Formula E), who rounded out the first podium of 2022.
“We had great pace, the team did a great job and I was a bit fortunate with Stoffel missing his ATTACK MODE but, at the end of the day, it was faultless from our side of the garage and we managed to win the first race so I’m very pleased,” said De Vries.
“It was only myself to blame for that,” Vandoorne said of his mistake. “I’m a little bit disappointed, but that’s the way it is and it’s still a very positive day in general for myself and the team, so we can be satisfied with the start of the season.”
The drama was unrelenting, and immediate, in the first of this weekend’s double-header in Diriyah.
De Vries got the better of Dennis on turn one to leapfrog his compatriot into second-place behind teammate Vandoorne, while season six champion Antonio Felix da Costa (DS TECHEETAH) became the first casualty in 2022, forced back into the pits after just the opening salvos.
Oliver Rowland (Mahindra Racing) – fastest in both Free Practice sessions – was second to exit after contact with Robin Frijns (Envision Racing), bringing out the Porsche Taycan Turbo S Safety car for its debut and adding five extra minutes to the race due to new rules introduced this term.
Once the safety car was cleared, Dennis, Andre Lotterer (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team), and Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) interchanged positions in a fascinating wheel-to-wheel battle for a place on the podium.
Lucas di Grassi (ROKiT Venturi Racing), Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) and Edoarda Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing) soon joined the party, forming a nose-to-tail fight that delivered both contact and a series of stunning overtakes.
Dennis eventually won out in third, with Bird claiming fourth, Di Grassi ending fifth and Mortara finishing sixth, while Cassidy closed in seventh and claimed an extra point courtesy of delivering the TAG Heuer Fastest Lap.
“There was contact, swerving, under braking, everything, but we got the job done,” Dennis said. “We can be extremely happy with what we achieved.”
Two-time champion Jean-Eric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH), rookie American Oliver Askew (Avalanche Andretti Formula E) and Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) were the final drivers collecting points in eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.
The first round of season eight – the fastest ever in ABB FIA Formula E, with the Gen2 cars now tapping into 220kW of power throughout and 250kW in ATTACK MODE – saw fans make a welcome return to grandstands and those in attendance at the Saudi street circuit in Diriyah witnessed yet more history at the same venue that broke new ground last year with the first ever ABB FIA Formula E night race.
Earlier in the day, ABB FIA Formula E’s new qualifying format debuted in enthralling and highly-entertaining fashion.
Under the new rules, all 22 drivers were divided into two groups racing at 220kW before the top-four in each advanced to head-to-head knockouts at 250kW in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final to determine the layout of the starting grid.
Frijns, Bird, Vandoorne, and Rowlands advanced from Group A, joined by De Vries, Cassidy, Dennis and Lotterer as Group B’s top-four.
Lotterer edged out Frijns to win the first Duel in Formula E history, before Dennis beat Bird, Vandoorne edged out Cassidy, and De Vries overcame Rowlands. In the semis, Dennis was first to secure his spot on the front row, before Vandoorne beat his Mercedes-EQ teammate De Vries to also guarantee a place at the top of the grid.
His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, minister of sport said: “Congratulations to Nyck De Vries and Mercedes- EQ Formula E Team on winning the first E-Prix of the 2022 Formula E championship that got underway with a thrilling first night of racing in Diriyah. Thanks to the commitment to hosting such world-renowned racing as Formula E, our sports sector continues to grow year after year. Through the unlimited support of our leadership, Saudi Arabia has strengthened its position as the home of motorsports and the 2022 Diriyah E-Prix was another example of this.
“Formula E has a special place in the Saudi motorsports’ scene, it sparked a series of global events since we hosted it in 2018 and continues to excite motorsports fans in Saudi every season. Formula E represents the future of sustainable racing which fits perfectly with the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision and its efforts to build a more sustainable future, headlined by clean energy.
ABB FIA Formula E’s second E-Prix of the 2022 campaign gets underway when the racing returns to Riyadh on Saturday 29 January for another night of electric action.
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