Cassidy wins Monaco E-Prix to take Formula E championship lead

    Mahindra Racing didn’t score any points in Monaco, with di Grassi at 12th and Rowland retiring with an injury.

    Published On May 07, 2023 09:11:00 PM

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    Nick Cassidy stormed from ninth on the grid to win the Monaco E-Prix. The Envision Racing driver now takes the championship lead, with title rival Pascal Wehrlein finishing a distant 10th.

    Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans put the pressure on Cassidy in the closing laps, but a late-race Safety Car meant he had to settle for second. Avalanche Andretti driver Jake Dennis completed the podium.

    1. Cassidy leads championship, 20 points ahead of Wehrlein
    2. Evans, Dennis on podium
    3. Envision Racing takes championship lead from Porsche

    Cassidy fends off Evans

    Carrying on their Berlin E-Prix form, Jaguar-powered cars continued to show a strong pace in Monaco. Cassidy’s early overtakes proved to be crucial and by Lap 7, he was already in the lead.

    Evans was initially told to avoid overtaking Cassidy, but he was given the green light to go ahead on Lap 21. He was within touching distance when the Safety Car was brought out with just three laps to go, sealing Cassidy’s victory.

    Dennis also made big gains, climbing from 11th on the grid to take the final spot on the podium. He was followed by Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz and McLaren’s Jake Hughes in fourth and fifth. Fenestraz had taken pole on track, but a post-session penalty dropped him to second, handing Hughes pole.

    Wehrlein, Porsche dethroned

    The Monaco E-Prix saw the 2023 Formula E title lead change for the first time since the Diriyah round in January. Long-time championship leader Wehrlein could only score a single point; that too was inherited after Sam Bird was handed a penalty for taking out Nico Mueller.

    Wehrlein is now 20 points behind Cassidy in the championship, while Porsche has also dropped to second in the teams' standings behind Envision Racing. “We’d hoped for better in Monaco and we’re disappointed not to have been able to showcase the true potential of our car. We now have to focus on our strong points and regain the performance that we’ve demonstrated so often this year,” said Wehrlein.

    Mahindra’s Rowland retires with injury

    Monaco proved to be another tough race for Mahindra and the Indian squad walked away from the round with no points scored. Lucas di Grassi progressed from 20th to finish 12th.

    Oliver Rowland gained six places at the start, only for all that hard work to be undone when he made contact with Edoardo Mortara at the Nouvelle Chicane. He was forced to retire after injuring his left hand; however, Mahindra has since confirmed that “the results of the X-Ray showed that there were no broken bones, just bruising and some swelling”. So he should be clear to race at the next round in Jakarta on June 3-4.

    2023 Monaco E-Prix results

    2023 Monaco E-Prix results
    PosDriverTeam
    1Nick CassidyEnvision Racing
    2Mitch EvansJaguar TCS Racing
    3Jake DennisAvalanche Andretti
    4Sacha FenestrazNissan
    5Jake HughesMcLaren
    6Dan TicktumNio 333
    7Jean-Eric VergneDS Penske
    8Sebastien BuemiEnvision Racing
    9Stoffel VandoorneDS Penske
    10Pascal WehrleinPorsche
    11Edoardo MortaraMaserati
    12Lucas di GrassiMahindra Racing
    13Robin FrijnsAbt Cupra
    14Sergio Sette CamaraNio 333
    15Antonio Felix da CostaPorsche
    16Sam BirdJaguar TCS Racing
    17Rene RastMcLaren
    18Norman NatoNissan
    NCOliver RowlandMahindra Racing
    NCMax GuentherMaserati
    NCNico MuellerAbt Cupra
    NCAndre LottererAvalanche Andretti

    Also see:

    Berlin Formula E: Jaguar 1-2, Cassidy closes in on championship lead

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