DS Penske was there

Mexico hosted a Formula E race for the ninth time, but it was a first for the Gen3 EVO electric single-seaters. As always, the spectators responded en masse, bringing their legendary good humor and creating a unique atmosphere. This climate of excitement has galvanized the Franco-American team DS Penske, determined to bounce back after a less good performance than expected in Brazil last December.

“After the frustrating race in São Paulo, where we could have aimed for very good results, we were determined to pick up important points in Mexico”says Eugenio Franzetti, director of DS Performance. “This weekend, our starting positions on the second and third rows allowed us to hope for a good result. Even if racing circumstances thwarted our plans, we are satisfied with the points collected, synonymous with consistency and reliability. I I am convinced that our efforts will bear more fruit in the next races.”

Solid performance despite unforeseen events

The first test session, traditionally dedicated to cleaning the trajectories and observing the competitors, allowed “JEV” and “Max” to test the 300 kW and 350 kW modes of their single-seaters. On Saturday morning the German driver entered the top 10 during the second practice session, before the two drivers found themselves in group B, where he set the best time.

Jean-Éric Vergne narrowly missed the leading quartet, finishing just three hundredths of a second behind the Porsche of Antonio Felix Da Costa. But that was without counting on the fact that Nick Cassidy’s (Jaguar) lap was invalidated… JEV finally reached the quarter-finals, where he faced his teammate, whom he ended up dominating. Vergne then faced Da Costa, with less success.

A promising race disrupted by the safety car

Starting from 3rd and 6th positions, Jean-Éric Vergne and Max Günther demonstrated great tactical mastery. Thanks to Attack mode, which activates 350 kW of power and four-wheel drive, the Penske DS were well placed to achieve a good result. However, the Attack mode activation strategy was impacted by two safety car interventions.

While Vergne and Günther maintained 6 minutes of Attack mode with ten laps to go, an incident involving a competitor caused the race to be neutralized for the first time. Blocked behind the safety car, they were unable to exploit their excess power while the clock ticked down.

Despite an attempt to recover at the end of the race, a second intervention by the safety car, caused by the stopping of Mitch Evans’ Jaguar, sealed their fate. The two drivers finally finished in 5th and 6th positions, showing the potential of their cars, but also the frustration in the face of external events.

On February 14 and 15, Formula E will travel to Saudi Arabia on a brand new circuit in Jeddah. DS Penske, often performing well in new contexts, hopes to take advantage of this configuration to highlight its potential.