António Félix da Costa clinched the win in Round 10 at the 2024 SUN MINIMEAL Berlin E-Prix making him the only driver to have won three times at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit. His win also secured Porsche’s inaugural victory on home turf in Formula E. Second home, Nick Cassidy of Jaguar TCS Racing, dominates the standings with a substantial 45-point lead, ahead of da Costa’s teammate Wehrlein and Round 10 podium-sitter Oliver Rowland of Nissan Formula E.
“Ultimately, it’s been a great weekend for us,” commented Cassidy. “I feel sorry for Mitch [Evans], he lost out a bit, but I feel like we both could’ve maybe had a bit of a better race. We try to work together – that sometimes works, it sometimes doesn’t, but we gave it our best. It was an eventful race but ultimately it’s been a fantastic weekend.
“I’m proud of my guys and girls. We turned things around a bit overnight and had a really fast package today – it has been a really good day. António drove fantastically today and when he picked up the pace at the end, I thought he was quicker than us as well, so a really deserved win and I’m so happy for him.
“For the title fight, we’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing. The team’s done an amazing job, I’m really enjoying it and I’m really proud to be driving for Jaguar TCS Racing.”
Da Costa took an early lead during the initial flurry of ATTACK MODE activations, with Porsche’s cars strategically positioned and collaborating through much of the opening half of the race. Throughout the 38-lap race, da Costa successfully defended relentless pressure from Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy of Jaguar, the latter being the victor of Saturday’s Round 9.
On Lap 31, Evans surged to the forefront after a brief pause prompted by Porsche’s new Taycan FIA Safety Car. However, he still had one of his two 50kW ATTACK MODE boosts remaining for deployment in the final phase. Employing a late-braking manoeuvre into the hairpin, da Costa managed to overpower Evans, compelling the New Zealander to overshoot the turn.
Subsequently, Oliver Rowland, advancing from 16th on the grid, followed da Costa’s lead, yet was unable to intensify the pressure as Cassidy manoeuvred past his teammate into third place as the laps dwindled, relentlessly hounding Rowland.
This strategic reshuffle allowed da Costa to surge ahead, maintaining a comfortable lead and ultimately seeing the chequered flag – his first victory since Cape Town 2023. Da Costa’s victory in Berlin brings the total number of race winners this season to eight, in just 10 rounds of Season 10 so far.
Further behind da Costa, Cassidy executed a last-minute move on Rowland to secure second place, clinching the fastest lap in the process. Rowland snatched third after a challenging starting position, ahead of Tag Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein, who valiantly battled reigning champion Jake Dennis (Andretti) for fourth.
Cassidy’s teammate Evans finished the race in sixth position, while Jehan Daruvala of Maserati MSG Racing delivered an impressive seventh-place finish, marking a personal best Formula E result for the Indian driver, after navigating through the pack from 13th.
19-year-old Taylor Barnard of NEOM McLaren Formula E showcased remarkable prowess by climbing from 18th to eighth at the finish line in his full debut weekend in the series. Joel Eriksson (Envision Racing) also achieved his best result to date with a ninth-place finish, while Jean-Éric Vergne (DS PENSKE) rounded off the top ten.
Cassidy will leave Berlin with a substantial 45-point haul and assumes the top position in the standings with 140 points, ahead of Wehrlein’s 124. Rowland occupies third place with 118 points. Jaguar TCS Racing leads the Teams’ standings with 237 points, followed by TAG Heuer Porsche in second place with 183.
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