Formula E: Dennis wins opening race, Cassidy takes victory in second Diriyah E-Prix

The double-header of this weekend’s Diriyah E-Prix noticed Andretti’s Jake Dennis took victory within the Friday’s race whereas Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy clinched a hard-fought win within the Saturday’s spherical. F1Technical’s senior author Balázs Szabó reviews on the Method E Diriyah E-Prix double-header.

Race 1 of the Diriyah E-Prix

Jean-Eric Vergne took pole place for Spherical 2 of the 2024 FIA Method E World Championship, and the two-time FE champion was capable of keep the lead at the beginning. Nevertheless, the Frenchman took his first energy increase on Lap 4 which allowed Mitch Evans and Jake Dennis to fly by.

The following lap noticed the New-Zealander undergo the activation zone to take a two-minute energy increase, with Dennis mimicking his rivals two laps later. The following lap noticed Vergne activate his second energy increase which resulted in him shedding two locations.

Surprisingly, Evans then appeared to wrestle for tempo which occurred to him within the season-opening Mexico Metropolis E-Prix. On Lap 17, Vergne closed in on his rival, and overtook him for P2 with their battle permitting Dennis to construct up a two-second hole on the entrance.

Laps 23 and 24 proved crucial when it comes to technique, as many drivers within the prime ten opted to undergo the activation zone, with Nick Cassidy the one driver to make use of each his assault modes.

By Lap 25, Dennis had loved a spot of two.5s forward of Vergne, who in flip had a cushty margin of 1.8s in entrance of Evans. Nevertheless, because the race approached its closing races, Vergne dropped again additional, with Evans and his team-mate Cassidy having closing in on him.

Evans made a last-ditch transfer for second at Flip 18 on the ultimate tour but it surely proved pricey – the Kiwi massively overcooking it, unable to cease the automobile and slipping to fifth whereas Cassidy stole in to take third.

Within the meantime, Dennis received the second E-Prix of the season, with Vergne and Cassidy ending on the 2 decrease steps of the podium. Chook took a shock P3 as a result of Evans, who ended up fifth with Norman Nato, Maximilian Guenther, Pascal Wehrlein, Sergio Sette Camara and Robin Frijns finishing the point-scoring prime ten.

Race 2 of the Diriyah E-Prix

The second Diriyah E-Prix of the weekend noticed Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy seal a primary win for the group of Season 10, and his maiden victory for the British.

After securing pole place in qualifying, Oliver Rowland took the primary beginning place, however he was unable to keep up the lead for lengthy as Robin Frijns acquired the bounce on him into the primary nook.

With the leaders, Rowland and Frijns having taken their first of the 2 obligatory 50kW assault modes, Nick Cassidy managed to hit the entrance. The Kiwi constructed up sufficient of a spot to undergo the activation zone with out shedding the lead.

Frijns was adamant to shut in on the chief, however his engineer warned him to not overconsume his vitality, which might have harm his late race tempo. Within the meantime, pole-sitter Rowland misplaced the connection to the main duo, having dropped again by 4 seconds to second-placed Frijns by Lap 17.

On Lap 26, Maserati’s newcomer Jehan Daruvala pulled off the monitor, retiring from the motion as a result of technical points.

Elsewhere, yesterday’s race winner Jake Dennis had a tough night as he solely began from P14, and he might hardly make up positions throughout the second E-Prix in Diriyah.

Whereas Cassidy seemed dominant within the early a part of the race, his benefit had been quietly ebbing away regardless of that early push, and by Lap 17 Frijns was proper with the Jaguar. The direct pack behind the main duo – Rowland, Jakes Hughes, Stoffel Vandoorne, Sacha Fenestraz, Pascal Wehrlein, Jean-Eric Vergne and Maximilian Guenther – additionally closed in on Cassidy and Frijns because the race approached its closing levels.

Regardless of the shut gaps on the entrance, no person was capable of make a transfer within the dying second of the race, leaving Cassidy to clinch his first victory with Jaguar in his fiftieth Method E race. Frijns and pole-sitter Rowland accomplished the rostrum with Hughes, Vandoorne, Wehrlein, Vergne, Guenther, Dennis citing the rear of the point-scoring pack.

Cassidy’s victory propels him to an 18-point lead within the Drivers’ World Championship, with Jaguar TCS Racing securing a big lead within the Groups’ standings. The ABB FIA Method E World Championship strikes subsequent to Sao Paulo for Spherical 4 on sixteenth March, the place the electrical pleasure continues.

Commenting on his victory, Cassidy stated: “That is superior I imply it is such a dream. I’ve acquired an incredible automobile and I am so privileged however this right here… I imply – I need it that manner.

“Each win is particular, it’s simply been a dream begin. I’m ready for a nasty day, it’s gonna come however for now we trip, we trip. I took benefit at the beginning – I initially thought I went too arduous at the beginning – however, you recognize, Jaguar TCS Racing gave me an incredible automobile and I’m tremendous fortunate.”

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