Fully loaded. Like the rest of the team, after encouraging simulator sessions, Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne arrived at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City with very specific intentions. “We have worked tirelessly and we have every reason to believe in ourselves,” commented Stoffel Vandoorne before the race. “Of course we know that our rivals have also made progress, but we have learned a lot in our first year with Gen3. We feel that the team is determined and stronger and this allows us to start the championship positively.”
This weekend, beyond the fact that it was the first race of the season, there were some key elements to take into consideration. First of all, the geographical location of the circuit: located at 2,200 meters above sea level, the air in Mexico City is a little poorer in oxygen. This aspect can cause headaches for the driver and affects the quality of cooling of the cars. It is also a place where temperatures vary greatly.
“Between practice at 7:30 in the morning and the race in the afternoon, the temperature difference can be noticeable,” continues Vandoorne. “The track changes a lot and you have to do a good qualifying to have a chance of finishing in a good position.”
Photo by: DPPI
Stoffel Vandoorne, DS Penske, Jean-Eric-Vergne, DS Penske
The science of racing
The first free practice session (Friday afternoon), punctuated by two red flags, did not allow us to define an initial hierarchy. So, the following morning, after a few warm-up laps, the tuning of the cars began. During this session, times dropped quite rapidly, approaching last year's pole position, but more than a second off the circuit record. Vandoorne and Vergne, fifth and eighth, were less than half a second off the benchmark time, suggesting that the DS Penske drivers had been cautious.
In qualifying, Vandoorne advanced to the quarterfinals, but JEV missed out by 13 hundredths of a second. Qualifying eighth and tenth on the grid, the pair then drove an intelligent race, with Vergne managing to gain four places and cross the finish line in sixth.
“I am satisfied with the progress made with the race management of my car,” said JEV after the finish line. “I didn't do very well in qualifying, but we recovered four positions thanks to our good race strategy. It's a shame that on this circuit you can't overtake easily with this type of car, because I had a pace and enough energy to try to bring home a better position at the finish line.”
Photo by: DPPI
Jean-Eric-Vergne, DS Penske, DS E-Tense FE23
Vandoorne's eighth place also deserves special attention, because the 2022 world champion began a new collaboration this weekend with Kyle Wilson-Clarke, Pascal Wehrlein's former Porsche engineer, who moved to DS Penske at the beginning of January. Maintaining the starting position, despite the two men having only been working together for a few days, also bodes well for the rest of the season.
In fifteen days, Formula E will return to the Diriyah circuit, on the outskirts of Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, for two races that will begin in the late afternoon, once night falls.
Photo by: DPPI
Stoffel Vandoorne, DS Penske
#good #start #season #Penske
