Jean-Éric Vergne, 6th in the first race of the weekend in Shanghai: "It's positive to leave with points."

Finishing sixth in a race made unpredictable by the rain and the Pit Boost format, Jean-Éric Vergne secured Citroën Racing's only points of the day. Nick Cassidy, hampered by a safety car that came out at the worst possible moment, finished 19th.

You needed nerves of steel on Saturday in Shanghai. On the 3,051 km international circuit, the twelfth round of the World Championship of Formula E The battle unfolded as much on the pit walls as on the track, amidst threatening skies, oppressive heat, and regulations that left no room for error.

The program for this first race of the Chinese double-header features the Pit Boost format, which mandates a 30-second pit stop to inject 10% of the battery's energy, combined with a single six-minute Attack Mode. This makes every decision a gamble, especially since rain, forecast from the opening laps, prompted teams to bring forward their strategies to avoid being caught out by a safety car period.

Two strategies, two destinies

The day had started well for Vergne. Having passed through the Duels after a convincing Group A performance, the Frenchman had secured a prime position on the grid, while Cassidy, unable to get the best out of his tires, had failed to reach the final stages.

Once the race started, the two-time Formula E champion put his experience to good use. Driving efficiently and well-positioned in the leading group, he remained a contender for the podium for a long time until the rain changed everything. Forced to defend in a tense finale, Vergne ultimately brought his lead home. car in sixth place.

« It's positive to leave with points today, especially in such a strategic and hard-fought race. he commented upon arrival. We did our best with what we had, and the team did a good job throughout the day. That said, I think if we'd had a bit more pace, we could have fought for a better result. »

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The scenario was considerably more cruel for Nick Cassidy. Barely had he activated his Attack Mode, following his Pit Boost stop, when the New Zealander saw the safety car deployed due to rain. Six minutes of extra power wasted, and the race definitively slipped away from him: Cassidy crossed the finish line in 19th position.

« We did not finish this first race as we would have liked today. he lamented. Several factors compromised our result, but that's also part of Formula E. We'll take the time to analyze everything tonight with the team so we can come back stronger tomorrow. »

A chance for revenge starting Sunday

On the wall, Cyril Blais was particularly impressed by his team's ability to navigate through chaos. This first round in Shanghai was particularly strategic, with the Pit Boost format and weather conditions that constantly changed the race. analyzed the Team Principal of Citroën Racing Formula E Team. In this context, the team successfully executed several aspects of our strategy and secured some important points thanks to Jean-Éric. The result doesn't fully reflect our potential for the day, but we gathered a lot of data and valuable lessons. »

The opportunity to do better presents itself immediately: the second round of the weekend takes place on Sunday, again in Shanghai, but this time in the classic format of the discipline. Without Pit Boost to manage, Citroën Racing hopes to once again translate its potential into results.