Formula E: Sims Claims Maiden Win In Saudi Arabia

By
Rhonan Colquhoun
-
0
1968

BMW’s Alexander Sims Takes His Maiden Formula E Win In Saudi Arabia.

Sims was just ahead of Audi’s Lucas di Grassi and Mercedes’s Stoffel Vandoorne as various penalties after the race, shake-up the finishing order.

For the second time in two days, Sims put in a stunning lap to take pole position once again for the third time in a row.

Behind him followed Nissan’s Sebastien Buemi and Audi’s Lucas di Grassi.

Yesterday’s race winner, Envision Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird qualified in 7th while after a penalty, Techeetah’s Jean-Eric Vergne started last in 24th.

On the way to starting grid, Mahindra’s Jerome d’Ambrosio failed to get the car rolling, fell to the back of the grid and failed to make the start.

Again it was a pretty calm start by everyone as Sims, after only a few corners, pulled away from the chasing pack.

Accompanied with his grid-penalty, Vergne also had to take a stop-go penalty in which the reigning champion served after lap 1.

With four laps completed, Sims led Buemi by two seconds.

GEOX Dragon’s Brendon Hartley had been overtaken by Porsche’s Neel Jani after running wide at turn 18.

Techeetah’s Antonio Felix da Costa made his way past Di Grassi for 3rd into the braking zone of turn 18.

On lap 6, Sims became the first driver of the race to activate his “attack mode”.

The BMW pilot managed to stay ahead of Buemi as Bird overtook Jaguar’s Mitch Evans, who was trying to find a way past di Grassi, for 5th.

After overtaking Di Grassi, Da Costa set his sights on Buemi’s 2nd place but got too close to the Nissan driver and there was contact.

Buemi was sent spinning after being nudged by the Techeetah and re-joining in 14th.

With 12 laps completed, Sims led by nearly three seconds ahead of an under investigation Da Costa and Di Grassi.

Trying to overtake Di Grassi, Bird left the door open and that allowed Evans to have a look. Slight contact was made which sent Bird into the wall.

Continuing on, Bird was then nudged by Mahindra’s Pascal Wehrlein which sent the British driver into the wall and into retirement.

The Safety Car was deployed for Bird stricken car as Evans pitted.

The Safety Car was brought back in as Sims led the way ahead of Da Costa, Di Grassi and Mercedes’s Stoffel Vandoorne.

Sims activates his last “attack mode” and losing the lead to Da Costa who slows and waits for Sims to get back into the lead.

With 18 minutes to go, Da Costa was handed a drive-through penalty for causing a collision with Buemi.

This almost certainly means that Techeetah will leave this weekend without any points.

He then served his penalty, promoting Di Grassi to second, BMW’s Maximilian Gunther to third, Vandoorne to fourth and Virgin’s Robin Frijns to fifth.

Buemi received a 10 second time penalty for re-joining the track dangerously after his incident with Da Costa.

Staying in fifth didn’t last long for Frijns as he ended up in the wall with broken left-front suspension.

The Safety Car was once again deployed.

Venturi’s Felipe Massa was handed a drive-through penalty for a false start.

With 10 minutes to go, the Safety Car was brought back in but Frijns car was not cleared by the marshals. Therefore, a Full Course Yellow was deployed.

With 8 minutes to go, the Full Course Yellow was brought in with Sims leading.

Di Grassi activated his last “attack mode” and dropped behind Gunther and Vandoorne.

Late-breaking into turn 18, Di Grassi overtook Vandoorne for third as Evans was handed a drive-through penalty for his incident with Bird.

Crossing the line to win for the first time in the series, Sims led-home a BMW 1-2 with Gunther in 2nd and Di Grassi holding 3rd.

However, after the race, a number of drivers received penalties including Gunther while Oliver Turvey was disqualified from the race.

While Sims kept first, Di Grassi and Vandoorne were promoted to second and third.

Mortara was promoted to fourth, Nissan’s Oliver Rowland to fifth, Audi’s Daniel Abt to sixth.

As Jaguar’s James Calado moved seventh, Vergne to eight, Hartley to ninth and Da Costa to tenth.

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