A stellar drive from Sébastien Buemi resulted in a podium finish on track, only to be penalised for an early incident which meant the Swiss driver dropped down to P8.
It was an incredibly strong comeback drive for both Envision Racing drivers, with Robin Frijns making his way up an outstanding 13 places after starting dead last on the grid. The Dutchman rounded off a double points finish in P9, just behind Sébastien Buemi after being demoted from a podium spot to P8. Buemi also picked up the fastest lap point.
The intense heat and humidity were tough for the drivers and team alike – the mechanics on both sides of the garage worked brilliantly throughout the weekend after a big crash for Frijns on Friday afternoon to get the car ready for race day. In-between qualifying and the race saw another impressive effort from the team to change the rear end of Buemi’s car just in time for the race start.
Despite the disappointment of losing the podium, another double points finish continues the run of recent improved performance for the green squad. Next up the Silverstone based squad will head to Berlin for a double-header in the Tempelhof on July 12 & 13.
QUALIFYING
After a wet start to the morning in FP2, the track conditions were incredibly difficult for the drivers – with a drying line and very dusty tarmac to battle with. The extreme heat quickly dried the surface ahead of qualifying. Both Envision Racing drivers of Buemi and Frijns took to the track in Group B.
During the 12-minute shootout, Buemi consistently set fast lap times, keeping him in the sharp end and ultimately set a good enough lap to make it through into the top four, classifying P3 in group and progressing through to the duels.
The Swiss faced Nyck De Vries in the head-to-head duel, however missed out as the Mahindra Racing driver set a blistering time. A strong session on the whole though for Buemi, lining up overall P7 in the classification.
After an incident in FP1 in the early stages for Frijns caused by suspension failure – he went into qualifying with almost zero running on the dry circuit, after a wet FP2 session earlier in the day. His final push lap was hampered by a small mistake and unfortunately ended the group P11, and P22 overall.
THE RACE
The 38-lap race began tame with the majority of the grid remaining in their starting positions, taking the first of the two activations of Attack Modes. Unfortunately, early on the #16 of Buemi was handed a 5-second penalty from the stewards for contact with Edoardo Mortara. All eyes were on maximising the rest of the race.
Teammate Frijns meticulously worked his way up the field, overtaking wisely and staying out of trouble as the carnage unfolded at the front of the grid. The Safety Car was brought out briefly due to a stopped Jake Hughes on track. Racing resumed, although incidents for Stoffel Vandorne and Nyck De Vries caused two Full Course Yellow periods.
Several lead changes and contact saw Buemi move up to P3 which he defended until the line, before the penalty pushed him back to P8. It was a valiant effort from Frijns to climb up to P9 at the end – completing a double points haul for the team.
Driver Standings (after Rd12)
- Oliver Rowland, 172pts
- Pascal Wehrlein, 103pts
- Antonio Felix da Costa, 100pts
- Taylor Barnard, 94pts
- Dan Ticktum, 80pts
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12. Sebastien Buemi, 52pts
20. Robin Frijns, 17pts
Team Standings (after Rd12)
1. TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, 203pts
2. Nissan Formula E Team, 191pts
3. DS Penske, 145pts
4. NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, 127pts
5. Mahindra Racing, 121pts
6. Andretti Formula E, 89pts
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10. Envision Racing, 69pts
