Vandoorne Takes Controlling Monaco E-Prix Win
Calum Gill 15:56 30/04/2022
Mercedes driver Stoffel Vandoorne ended a year-long Formula E victory drought and jumped into the championship lead with an ultimately commanding Monaco E-Prix win.
Vandoorne had run fourth early on and was in better shape on energy conservation than Mitch Evans, Pascal Wehrlein and Jean-Éric Vergne ahead as the leading Jaguar ran a cautious pace. But Vandoorne’s progress into the lead was more to do with good timing and problems ahead than that energy management. Evans was frustratedly unable to save as much energy as those behind him, and was overtaken by Wehrlein’s Porsche during the period when both were on their first attack mode. Wehrlein then used the last of his extra power to overtake temporary leader Vergne, who’d gone for attack mode earlier than most, only for the Porsche to then suddenly slow on the hill out of Mirabeau with a technical problem.
Vergne took his second attack mode next time around, with Vandoorne taking the lead as a consequence. But Vergne’s extra power was wasted under a full course yellow caused by Wehrlein’s limping car stopping on track at the tunnel exit. The timing of the yellow ending also worked in Vandoorne’s favour, as he was able to accelerate away with a 3.5 seconds lead. That was eradicated by the safety car after Oliver Rowland’s attempt to take fifth from André Lotterer sent both into the Sainte Devote barriers. Evans got back onto Vandoorne’s tail as a result, but unlike the leader still had to take his second attack mode.
He fell behind Vergne and Robin Frijns when he did so, and though Evans repassed both, Vandoorne was well out of reach and won by 1.3 seconds. Vergne narrowly fended off Frijns and the second DS Techeetah of António Félix da Costa to complete the podium. Lucas di Grassi lost out on a win shot for the same attack mode timing reason as Vergne and finished sixth. His Venturi team-mate Edoardo Mortara made superb progress from 16th on the grid into the top 10 then had to pit with a late mechanical problem. Nick Cassidy produced a similar charge to come from 18th to seventh for Envision.
Nissan was on for a double points finish until Maximilian Günther ran out of energy, but Sébastien Buemi still made it up from last on the grid to eighth ahead of Jake Dennis. Reigning champion Nyck de Vries lost ground early on in a tussle with Frijns and could only finish 10th. While one Jaguar fought for victory, the other never featured anywhere near the front. Sam Bird fell back from an already disappointing 13th on the grid to 17th at the first corner and then retired early with suspension damage.
