Jean-Éric Vergne's result on Friday – a pole position and a second place on the podium – combined with the fact that both cars scored in the points the following day, represented something of a liberation for Eugenio Franzetti, director of DS Performance.
“Friday was a great day for the DS Penske team,” underlined the representative of DS Automobiles in this world championship. “Our results since the start of the season, and in particular here, demonstrate the excellent level of performance of our DS E-Tense FE23. These points are good for morale, especially at the start of the season. Of course, we know that we still have to work to close the gap with some of our rivals, but I am confident that we will succeed. Now that the areas for improvement we have identified have been confirmed, we will be able to continue in the right direction.”
As an opponent for Porsche and Jaguar in 2023, DS Penske has often been in the mix, but has been unable to compete with them in the long term. Since the start of the 2024 championship, their two cars have become more competitive, with drivers up to the task.
Progress to be confirmed
Photo de: Joao Filipe / DPPI
Jay Penske and Jean-Éric Vergne.
In Formula E, it all comes down to a few things, but ultimately the underlying trends always come to the fore. For example, even though Stoffel Vandoorne didn't have the chance to set a fast lap in qualifying on Friday, he showed his true level the next day. After a convincing free practice session (Vergne 2nd and Vandoorne 6th), the two Penske DS, despite being in the same qualifying group, managed to place in the top four to advance to the quarter-finals. During the duels, Vandoorne eliminated Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan) and advanced to the semi-final. Vandoorne started fourth, while Jean-Eric Vergne placed eighth on the grid.
During the race, the previous day's leaders were behind in the standings and the fact that the second round of the weekend was one lap shorter (36 instead of 37) reshuffled the cards in terms of energy strategy. As in Mexico City, DS Penske ended up fighting for good positions, with Vandoorne in 5th place and Vergne in 8th. These results brought JEV to 3rd place in the drivers' championship and DS Penske to 2nd place in the constructors' championship, behind Jaguar but ahead of the two Porsche-powered teams.
With the race initially scheduled to take place in India in mid-February cancelled, Formula E will now take a seven-week break ahead of the Sao Paulo (Brazil) round. The teams will be able to use this time to fine-tune their cars ahead of what promises to be a highly competitive season.
Photo de: Joao Filipe / DPPI
Stoffel Vandoorne, DS Penske.
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