Dakar Rally News: DS Penske Shines at Misano Formula E
The DS Penske squad has once again proven their mettle on a new circuit, showcasing their impressive pace at the recent Formula E event in Misano. With the exception of a hiccup in Tokyo last March, the Franco-American team has often thrived on tracks that are new to the electric single-seater racing series.
Dominant Display on Opening Day
The opening day of the Misano weekend saw a dominant display from DS Penske, with Jean-Éric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne leading the way in practice. Vergne’s outstanding performance continued into qualifying, where he battled Mitch Evans of Jaguar until the very end. In the race, the Frenchman was once again at the forefront, crossing the line in third place despite a damaged car from numerous contacts. A five-second penalty ultimately dropped him to sixth, but Vandoorne’s impressive charge from 18th to eighth was a testament to the car’s capabilities.
Stronger Showing on Sunday
Sunday’s action saw an even stronger showing from the DS Penske squad, with both Vergne and Vandoorne making it to the quarter-finals. Vergne started second on the grid, with Vandoorne in sixth. Despite the race being shortened to 26 laps, the team’s energy management strategy proved effective, with Vergne finishing a hard-fought seventh and Vandoorne forced to back off due to contact.
“Both our cars performed at a high level this weekend,” commented Eugenio Franzetti, Director of DS Performance. “JEV was consistently fast, and Stoffel was also quick, with better grid positions on Sunday. We’re disappointed by JEV’s penalty on Saturday and his seventh-place finish on Sunday, as we knew the podium was within our grasp. However, we’re delighted with the points we’ve scored and the performance we’ve shown, which is reassuring for the upcoming races, especially Monaco, where we have a little surprise in store for our fans.”
The Formula E World Championship now heads to the Principality of Monaco for the next round on Saturday, April 27th. DS Penske will be eager to capitalize on their strong Misano showing and mount a challenge for the top step of the podium in their “home” race.
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