Dan Ticktum secured his second pole position in his Formula E career after Nyck de Vries and Ticktum engaged in a tough qualifying fight. The mandatory PitBoost increased the level of mayhem in the race and raised hopes for a new podium finisher and potential championship changes.
Race Start Drama
Ticktum and De Vries both shot off the line at the beginning of the race, closely followed by Evans and Vergne, who brushed against each other in the first turn. Evans’s false alert about a potential tire puncture set off the action immediately. While Günther and Evans fought for P3, Da Costa overtook Eriksson for P8.
Chaos saw the safety car deployed for lap 4 as Nick Cassidy and Jake Dennis collided following Cassidy being caught off guard with how much Nato had slowed down. Taking evasive actions, he closed the gap on Dennis, pinning him into the wall. The FIA handed Cassidy a 10 second penalty for causing a collision with Müller.
Penalties & Close Calls
Returning to racing in lap 6, Eriksson received a black and white flag for moving while braking, and Nato received a drive-through penalty for a tire pressure infraction. Meanwhile, Vergne was in a close-contact fight with Müller and saw Vergne receive a 5-second penalty by race control.
Yellow flag, as Porsche teammates Wehrlein and Müller made contact, leaving Wehrlein with a puncture and Müller with front wing damage. Nato headed into the pit lane, being the first of the race to get a pit boost.
Barnard radioed in about Buemi’s weaving with a damaged wing on Lap 15, and Da Costa passed race leader Ticktum, causing even more chaos. But it’s De Vries’ attack mode that saw him pull ahead of Da Costa, taking the lead. Evans and Ticktum immediately began to battle with Da Costa.
Missed Chances
A confrontation between Rowland and Eriksson occurred after the Jaguars switched positions, with Drugovich being advised to save energy after his struggles to keep P5. After using the runoff area at turns 10–11, Ticktum passed Da Costa, but they crashed, resulting in a full course yellow.
Da Costa’s tire rolled across the track, following his DNF collision. Vergne took advantage of the situation and went into the pit lane to serve his penalty. Evans, Ticktum, Marti, and Drugovich trailed behind De Vries as the race came to a close under a green flag for the final lap.
Crowning the Winners
As Nyck De Vries emerged victorious in the Monaco E-Prix, Mitch Evans finished in second place and is currently leading the championship standings. Ticktum was dropped from the podium by a 33-second penalty after the race, promoting Pepe Martí to third place.
With Ticktum and Da Costa being investigated for disobeying the race director’s instructions. Gunther was given a 5-second penalty for colliding with Müller, and the FCY restart between Drugovich and Marti has also been noted.
What a race for Mahindra after a successful qualifying session; the final results showcase their speed. There are a lot of expectations for tomorrow’s e-prix, particularly if there are more penalities to come. Stay tuned for the second round in this weekend’s double header in Monaco.