The penultimate race of the season has proven crucial for the Drivers' Championship. Round 15 has delivered what all motorsport fans dream of; a three-way battle that will now be decided in tomorrow's final round.
Last-minute changes
Wehrlein was able to turn up when it mattered. Starting third in the race, he methodically made his way to the top of the field. Wehrlein conserved energy and created the gap he needed to take his attack mode and maintain the lead with a fierce defence from Mitch Evans. He now goes into the final race as the championship leader, he’ll be doing everything he can to keep that lead tomorrow and win his first FIA Formula E Championship.
The bigger picture
After starting the day on top and taking pole in the morning qualifying session, Evans was not able to convert his starting position into a win. He finished the race in second, along with the fastest lap, after a measured drive that will surely help his chances going into the final race of the season.
The Kiwi felt the race was lost due to strategy, saying, “We had the pace to win today. We approached the race wrong… We executed poorly.” The team had opted to attack hard in the first phase to keep the lead, which ultimately led to an energy deficit compared to the surrounding cars, allowing Wehrlein to take the lead and preventing Evans from fighting back.
“We approached the race wrong…We executed poorly” - Mitch Evans
Cassidy loses out
A poor qualifying result meant the Jaguar driver started 17th in the race. He managed to make some moves early on but was hindered by an unknown issue with his attack mode activation, leading to a net loss of 6 positions. After a few hair-raising moments with Dennis and Vandoorne, he was able to make his way into the points.
Penalties for Sacha Fenestraz and Jake Dennis moved the Kiwi up to 7th, limiting the damage from his high-placing championship rivals. He’s now the one hunting rather than being hunted going into the final round. Ending the day third in the championship battle and 7 points behind Wherlein.
It all comes down to tomorrow; only 7 points now separate the top three. Who will come out on top?
Wehrlein | 180 |
Evans | 177 |
Cassidy | 173 |
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