FORMULA E
BIRD WINS PORSCHE AND MERCEDES ON THE PODIUM
Envision Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird won the 2019-20 Formula E season-opening Diriyah E-Prix ahead of Porsche’s Andre Lotterer and Mercedes’ Stoffel Vandoorne as FE’s new teams took debut podiums.
Bird used an aggressive attack mode strategy to climb from fifth on the grid to score a ninth career FE win five years to the day since he scored his first category win at the 2014 Putrajaya E-Prix.
Robin Frijns (NLD), Envision Virgin Racing and Sam Bird (GBR), Envision Virgin Racing, 1st position
At the start, polesitter Alexander Sims easily held the lead off the line ahead of Mercedes pair Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries, as Bird harried Venturi Racing’s Edoardo Mortara for fourth in the early stages.
Bird took his first attack mode activation on lap nine of what would become a 34 lap race, briefly dropping to P6 behind Jerome d’Ambrosio (Mahindra Racing) before getting back by on the following tour.
The British driver used his time in the 235kW higher power mode to shoot past Mortara on the run to the Turn 18 – the race’s first corner – on lap 11.
After his initial attack mode activation ended, Bird was able to stay with the Mercedes pair ahead as they in turn chased Sims.
On lap 20, Bird took his second attack mode activation – staying ahead of Lotterer, who had risen to fourth from seventh on the grid and was also in his second attack mode activation.
After catching back up to the top three, Bird used his power advantage over de Vries to take third on lap 22 at Turn 18, the right-hand corner at the end of the main straight that easily featured the most action.
Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL), Mercedes Benz EQ Formula, 3rd position
But it was on the following lap that the defining moment of the race occurred as Bird caught up to the back of Vandoorne, who then launched his own move on long-time leader Sims at Turn 18 that resulted in a slight touch, which sent them both deep.
Vandoorne was able to get ahead and take the lead, while Bird nipped past Sims to take P2.
Two tours later Sims took his second attack mode and dropped behind Lotterer, who had moved past de Vries when the newly crowned Formula 2 champion moved to take his final activation.