2014 Putrajaya ePrix explained

Type:CUST
Description:Race 2 of 11 of the 2014–15 Formula E season
Country:Malaysia
Grand Prix:Putrajaya
Gp Suffix:ePrix
Date:22 November
Year:2014
Official Name:2014 FIA Formula E Ycapital Management Putrajaya ePrix
Race No:1
Season No:11
Location:Putrajaya, Malaysia
Course:Street circuit
Course Km:2.56
Course Mi:1.59
Distance Laps:31
Distance Km:79.36
Distance Mi:49.29
Pole Driver:Nicolas Prost[1]
Pole Team:e.dams Renault
Pole Time:1:21.779
Pole Country:FRA
Fast Driver:Jaime Alguersuari
Fast Team:Virgin Racing
Fast Time:1:24.429
Fast Lap:20
Fast Country:ESP
First Driver:Sam Bird
First Team:Virgin Racing
First Country:GBR
Second Driver:Lucas di Grassi
Second Team:Audi Sport ABT
Second Country:BRA
Third Driver:Sébastien Buemi
Third Team:e.dams Renault
Third Country:CHE

The 2014 Putrajaya ePrix, formally the 2014 FIA Formula E Ycapital Management Putrajaya ePrix[2] was a Formula E motor race that was held on 22 November 2014 at the Putrajaya Street Circuit in Putrajaya, Malaysia. It was the second championship race of the single-seater, electrically powered racing car series' inaugural season.[3]

Drivers Bruno Senna, Katherine Legge and Nick Heidfeld were awarded the "FanBoost" for the race. [4] The race was won by British driver Sam Bird (Virgin Racing)[5]

Report

Background

The race had originally been scheduled to take place on 18 October. It was delayed until 22 November at the request of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak.[6] The race start time was brought forward by two hours due to heavy rain being forecast.[7]

Race

After Nicolas Prost had received a ten place grid penalty for causing a collision in Beijing, Oriol Servia started on pole position with Sam Bird second and Daniel Abt third. Abt made a poor start and fell back, while the whole field squeezed through the first series of tight corners without incident. At the end of the first lap, however, Katherine Legge made severe contact with Michela Cerruti and at the same time, Matthew Brabham was seen facing the wrong way in the hairpin. The safety car was brought out.

When the green flag showed at the start of the fifth lap, Bird managed to overtake Servia, which opened the door for Jarno Trulli and later Karun Chandhok to get by as well. On the eighth lap, Franck Montagny overtook Nick Heidfeld, simultaneously pushing his rival into the wall. This brought out a second safety car. Abt went into the pits, effectively extending his second stint to 21 laps.

Racing continued on the twelfth lap. Bruno Senna was soon challenging Nelson Piquet Jr. for fifth, making use of his FanBoost, but hit the wall and damaged his suspension. Meanwhile, Bird continued to lap one to three seconds per lap quicker than everyone else, extending his lead on Trulli, Chandhok, and Servia. When the leaders made their pit stops, Abt reached first position, but with only fifty percent of his power remaining. Meanwhile, Trulli was given a drive-through penalty for exceeding his power usage. He still defended his position, however, handing Piquet the opportunity to overtake Lucas di Grassi. Piquet also tried to take third off of Trulli, but was pushed into the wall and had to retire.

On lap 24, Abt was still leading in front of Bird, Di Grassi, and Sébastien Buemi. Bird, at this point, was gaining three to five seconds per lap, because Abt was having to save energy, after having pitted very early in the race. He held the lead until the 28th lap, but eventually fell back to tenth. Senna, meanwhile, used his FanBoost to pass Prost for fourth, but crashed out in the last lap. Bird took the win, with Di Grassi and Buemi next to him on the podium.

Classification

Qualifying

DriverTeamTimeGap
18 Nicolas Proste.dams-Renault1:21.77911
26 Oriol ServiaDragon Racing1:22.010+0.2311
37 Jérôme d'AmbrosioDragon Racing1:22.215+0.43620
42 Sam BirdVirgin Racing1:22.235+0.4562
566 Daniel AbtAudi Sport ABT1:22.342+0.5633
610 Jarno TrulliTrulli1:22.347+0.5684
75 Karun ChandhokMahindra Racing1:22.612+0.8335
899 Nelson Piquet Jr.China Racing1:22.620+0.8416
923 Nick HeidfeldVenturi1:22.720+0.9417
1021 Bruno SennaMahindra Racing1:22.816+1.0378
1128 Matthew BrabhamAndretti1:22.941+1.1629
1255 António Félix da CostaAmlin Aguri1:23.194+1.41510
1330 Stéphane SarrazinVenturi1:23.240+1.46112
1427 Franck MontagnyAndretti1:23.697+1.91813
1518 Michela CerrutiTrulli1:23.857+2.07814
1688 Ho-Pin TungChina Racing1:23.894+2.11515
179 Sébastien Buemie.dams-Renault1:25.319+3.54019
1877 Katherine LeggeAmlin Aguri1:25.823+4.04416
193 Jaime AlguersuariVirgin RacingNo time17
2011 Lucas di GrassiAudi Sport ABTNo time18
Notes:

Race

DriverTeamLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
12 Sam BirdVirgin Racing3151:11.979225
211 Lucas di GrassiAudi Sport ABT31+ 4.1751818
39 Sébastien Buemie.dams-Renault31+ 5.7391915
48 Nicolas Proste.dams-Renault31+ 9.5521112+3
57 Jérôme d'AmbrosioDragon Racing31+ 13.7222010
65 Karun ChandhokMahindra Racing31+ 17.15858
76 Oriol ServiàDragon Racing31+ 18.62116
855 António Félix da CostaAmlin Aguri31+19.926104
93 Jaime AlguersuariVirgin Racing31+20.053172+2
1066 Daniel AbtAudi Sport ABT31+45.66331
1188 Ho-Pin TungChina Racing31+55.83315
1230 Stéphane SarrazinVenturi31+56.62612
1328 Matthew BrabhamAndretti31+1:05.036 9
1421 Bruno SennaMahindra Racing30Accident8
1577 Katherine LeggeAmlin Aguri28+3 laps16
1610 Jarno TrulliTrulli28+3 laps4
Ret99 Nelson Piquet Jr.China Racing22Collision7
Ret18 Michela CerrutiTrulli7Collision14
DSQ27 Franck MontagnyAndretti30Drug testing13
EX23 Nick HeidfeldVenturi14Illegal car change8

Notes:

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Lucas di Grassi43
2 Sam Bird40
3 Franck Montagny18
4 Nicolas Prost18
5 Jérôme d'Ambrosio18
Teams' Championship standings
PosConstructorPoints
1 Audi Sport ABT45
2 Virgin Racing44
3 e.dams-Renault33
4 Andretti30
5 Dragon Racing30

References

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2014 Punta del Este ePrix|- style="text-align:center"|width="35%"|Previous race:
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2015 Putrajaya ePrix|- style="text-align:center"

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nicolas Prost clinches pole position for the Putrajaya ePrix. formulae.com. 2014-11-22. 22 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20180522035510/http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2014/november/nicolas-prost-clinches-pole-position-for-the-putrajaya-eprix.aspx. 22 May 2018. dead.
  2. Web site: Putrajaya ePrix Qualifying Groups. Formula E. 21 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141124040243/http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2014/november/putrajaya-eprix-qualifying-groups.aspx. 24 November 2014. dead. dmy-all.
  3. Web site: Putrajaya, Malaysia – Round 2. fiaformulae.com. 1 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20170801200848/http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/calendar/2014-putrajaya/putrajaya-circuit.aspx. 1 August 2017. dead. dmy-all.
  4. Web site: Heidfeld, Legge and Senna to receive FanBoost. https://web.archive.org/web/20141125051312/http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2014/november/heidfeld,-legge-and-senna-to-receive-fanboost.aspx. dead. 25 November 2014. fiaformulae.com. 22 November 2014. 25 November 2014.
  5. Web site: Results – Round 2 Putrajaya ePrix . formulae.com . 2014-11-22 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141124063044/http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/results/putrajaya-eprix.aspx . 2014-11-24 .
  6. Web site: 2014 Formula E Putrajaya ePrix postponed from October 18 to November 22 at Prime Minister's request . Anthony . Lim . Paultan . 2 August 2014 . 22 November 2014.
  7. Web site: Revised timetable for Formula E Putrajaya ePrix due weather forecasts . Tim . Biesbrouck . Electricautosport . 4 November 2014 . 22 November 2014.
  8. Web site: PROST TOPS PUTRAJAYA EPRIX QUALIFYING . Tom . Errington . Checkeredflag . 22 November 2014 . 23 November 2014.
  9. Web site: Formula E Notes: Lucas di Grassi keeps points lead; Nick Heidfeld excluded from Putrajaya ePrix . Chris . Estrada . 22 November 2014 . NBC Sports . 22 November 2014.