Penske’s Vergne wins drama-filled inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix

The race was action-packed, with minor crashes, wheel-to-wheel action that sent the motorsport fans in the city into delirium

Hyderabad: Two-time champion Jean-Eric Vergne from DS Penske team held his nerves to win his maiden race at the inaugural Formula E race Hyderabad E-Prix at the street circuit on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake at the NTR Marg, on Saturday.

The race was action-packed, with minor crashes, wheel-to-wheel action that sent the motorsport fans in the city into delirium. The French driver Vergne, took advantage after TCS Jaguar’s Mitch Evans, who took the pole in the morning session and was running third at the time, crashed along with three other cars when his teammate Sam Bird rammed into him on the first turn in the 12th lap.

This is Vergne’s first win of the season. Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy and TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Casta took the second and third places respectively. The final laps were nerve-wracking with both Vergne and Cassidy fighting for the chequered flag with the latter’s battery power in the final stages. However, Vergne managed to hold off Cassidy to record a memorable win in one of the closest margins in front of a packed 25,000 people.

Though Sebastian Buemi finished third, an overpower infringement saw him demoted to 15th with a 17-second penalty. That helped Porsche’s da Costa to the podium in his 100th race. His teammate Pascal Wehrlien, who was eyeing a hat-trick of victories, finished fourth despite starting the grid from 12th after qualification.

However, it was a disappointment for the home Mahindra Racing as their drivers failed to finish on the podium. Their diver Oliver Rowland finished sixth to earn points for the home team. Porsche’s Wehrlien, with the fourth-place finish, extended his championship lead to 18 points over Dennis while Vergne jumped to third position. Porsche swelled the lead to 23 points over Avalanche Andretti in the teams’ standings.