Formula E ePrix New York # 1 2021: Günther wins

Günther wins the first of two New York ePrix 2021. For BMW i Andretti Motorsport, it is a home victory.

Qualifications

The electric single-seater, Formula E, returns to the “Big Apple” for the first of two New York e-Prix. We return to a parking circuit with a bitumen more used to handling equipment (it is a port). We’re at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, in Red Hook on the Brooklyn side. We’re not going to lie to each other, it’s not the most beautiful of the FE circuits, far from it, especially since the formula visits real circuits and not car parks with concrete barriers.

In qualifying, the big problem comes for Mortara who cannot switch his car to qualifying mode and remains with a power of 200 kW. Last time and a difficult ePrix in sight.

In front, Buemi, Vergne and Wehrlein set the 3 best times of the qualifying groups. They will compete for the super pole with Cassidy, Günther and Lynn. In this little game, Cassidy took pole ahead of Vergne, Lynn, Günther, Buemi and Wehrlein.

Di Grassi will start 7th ahead of Rowland, Sims and Lotterer. Da Costa, Vergne’s teammate and defending champion, will start 13th, the two Mercedes, de Vries and Vandoorne will start 18th and 21st respectively. As a reminder, we start for 45 minutes and one lap, with the obligation to trigger two “attack modes” (more power for 4 minutes) via an alternative trajectory.

Departure

Very good start from Cassidy, a little less from Vergne who is caught up by Lynn. But the latter totally misses his first braking and retreats in the hierarchy. We have Cassidy, Vergne, Buemi, Günther, Lynn and Di Grassi. Lynn is the first of the top 10 pilots to unleash his first attack mode. He is passed in the maneuver by Di Grassi, Wehrlein and Sims. It wasn’t long before he ironed his teammate Sims.

Günther and Di Grassi imitate him a lap later. Vergne also does it a lap later. He seemed blocked by Cassidy. Buemi follows him. This quite shakes up the ranking in front. Vergne was able to stay 2d in the race and has the track clear in front of him. He pushes to do the undercut to Cassidy. But no, it does not pass. The Envision Virgin pilot also triggers his attack mode and manages to start again in front of Vergne.

35 minutes + 1 lap

The first 10 have triggered a first attack mode. We are 34 minutes 30 + 1 lap from the end of the race and we have Cassidy, Vergne, Buemi, Günther, Di Grassi for the top 5. Wehrlein totally misses the braking of the hairpin and hits Lynn. The Mahindra pilot started again 7th. For Wehrlein, it smacks of abandonment over a technical concern. The Porsche gasps and arrives as best it can to return to the pits. Was it the technical concern that prevented him from braking in time? Without a doubt.

There is still a lot of time left and Di Grassi is already launching his second attack mode. Buemi also a lap later, as did Rowland. Cassidy and Vergne took a big lead thanks to Buemi who blocked the rest of the field a bit. Vergne has 2% more battery than Cassidy. He triggers his 2d attack mode, just like Günther.

Evans is stopped on the track. Turvey returns to the pits. For the moment we only have a yellow flag for Evans, yet not far from the trajectory. Once again, Cassidy also triggers his attack mode, after Vergne, but leaves again in front of the Frenchman. The big loser of these second attack modes is Buemi who went from 3rd to 6th.

25 minutes + 1 turn

Ah, it took two minutes for the race director to come out with the “full course yellow”. Cars have to slow down. This avoids a safety car and gives the marshals the opportunity to get Evans’ car out. Green flag handed over very quickly. This also avoids removing kWh from the battery unlike the safety car.

Lotterer and Da Costa also trigger their attack mode. They are only 4 to have one more. Vergne, Bird, Da Costa, De Vries and Vandoorne receive the “fan boost” (a little extra power that is very temporary). For Vergne, it may help at the end of the race to pass Cassidy if he is able to do so.

Buemi falls back one more place, facing Rowland this time. Very nice “kawabunga” braking by Lynn who passes Dennis however with the attack mode. Vergne and Günther both have a bit more battery power than the others. Günther also gently goes back to Vergne and Cassidy.

Dennis passes Lynn back. Resisting, Lynn goes outside, dirty, and lets Sims, Bird, Da Costa and Rast pass. Ah, Dennis is in slow motion. Obviously a technical problem too. Unless he had a problem with Sims because the latter fell in the rankings.

15 minutes + 1 turn

We now have a small train of 4 single-seaters ahead: Cassidy, Vergne, Günther and Di Grassi. Di Grassi has a visibly hot car. The temperatures in New York (27 °) are however not exceptional. Vergne triggered his fan boost. For almost nothing.

We have the impression that Cassidy is stuck (even Frinjs and Rowland go back to the first 4). But Vergne can’t find the opening. He tries a “dive bomb” at the pin and it’s Günther who says thank you! Di Grassi also because he wins a place in history while Cassidy passes 4th.

Vergne’s braking was limited, probably too far away, but it happens. Günther has a little more battery than Vergne and will be able to try to get away and get away from the Frenchman.

Last 5 minutes + 1 lap

That’s it, Günther has sheltered his BMW Andretti from a return from Vergne. On the other hand, Vergne is threatened by Di Grassi. We are in the last lap, the pilots only have 2% battery allowed. It is very tense, the passage on the line is done at 0.0% for several people.

For the moment, we have Günther who wins for the first time this season and the 3rd in his career, ahead of Vergne, Di Grassi. Follow Cassidy, Frinjs, Buemi, Rowland, Lotterer, Bird and Rast for the top 10. In the end we still have 6 withdrawals in this New York ePrix.

Drivers ranking of the 2021 Formula E championship

Nice comeback of Vergne in the ranking. He is 3rd at 4 points behind Mortara, co-leader with Frinjs. At three ePrixes from the end of the season (1 ePrix in New York and 2 ePrix in London) nothing is settled and even the 10th (or beyond) can claim the final victory.

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