In a thrilling end to the inaugural Formula E championship, British driver Sam Bird did not disappoint the home crowd. A display of aggressive driving saw the driver work his way from fourth place on the grid to the top step on the podium.
After jumping to third following a precise car changeover Bird overtook Loic Duval for second place to then battle with Stephane Sarrazin for first position. Venturi driver Sarrazin exceeded his energy allocation on the final lap and was penalised at the end of the race, giving the Briton the top spot.
Sam Bird, Virgin Racing driver (first position) said, “What an amazing race and end to the season. We worked hard to maintain our position in the first half of the race and after a great car changeover we jumped to third. I managed to conserve the car’s energy to enable a lap longer than Stephane before the second stint – that turned the race for me. To end the season on top of the podium in front of a home crowd is incredible.”
Alex Tai, Virgin Racing Team Principal, said, “We couldn’t have scripted a better end to the first FIA Formula E series. As the only British team in the Championship, to finish with a win in London is incredible. Sam drove an excellent race and I’m hugely proud of the whole team. Winning the last race is great – it might be the end of this season but really it is just a beautiful beginning for us as we are already looking forward to season two, which we will be entering with our new partner as Virgin Racing.”