2019 Paris ePrix explained

Previous Round:2019 Rome ePrix
Next Round:2019 Monaco ePrix
Type:CUST
Description:Race 8 of 13 of the 2018–19 Formula E season
Country:France
Grand Prix:Paris
Gp Suffix:ePrix
Year:2019
Official Name:2019 Paris E-Prix
Location:Circuit des Invalides, Les Invalides, Paris, France
Course:Street circuit
Course Km:1.93
Course Mi:1.20
Distance Laps:32
Distance Km:61.440
Distance Mi:38.177
Weather:Rain
Pole Driver:Oliver Rowland
Pole Country:GBR
Pole Team:e.Dams-Nissan
Pole Time:1:00.535
Fast Driver:Tom Dillmann
Fast Team:NIO
Fast Time:1:02.780
Fast Lap:10
Fast Country:FRA
First Driver:Robin Frijns
First Country:NED
First Team:Virgin–Audi
Second Driver:Andre Lotterer
Second Country:GER
Second Team:Techeetah-DS
Third Driver:Daniel Abt
Third Country:GER
Third Team:Audi

The 2019 Paris ePrix (formally the 2019 Paris E-Prix) was a Formula E electric car race held at the Circuit des Invalides in the Les Invalides building complex on 27 April 2019. It was the eighth race of the 2018–19 Formula E season and the fourth edition of the event.

Report

Background

The Paris ePrix was confirmed as part of Formula E's 2018–19 series schedule on June 7, 2018 by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.[1] It is the eighth of thirteen scheduled single-seater electric car races of the 2018–19 season, and the fourth running of the event. The ePrix would be held at the 1.93km (01.2miles) clockwise fourteen-turn Circuit des Invalides in the Les Invalides building complex of the city's 7th arrondissement on 27 April 2019.

Going into the race, Mahindra driver Jérôme d'Ambrosio is leading the Drivers' Championship with 65 points, only one point ahead of BMW Andretti driver António Félix da Costa in second. In third is the Techeetah driver André Lotterer with 62 points, two points behind the championship leader after finishing second in the previous race. Jaguar driver Mitch Evans is in forth with 61 points, after winning the race in Rome. Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler driver Lucas Di Grassi stays in fifth with 58 points after finishing seventh in Rome.[2] In the Teams' Championship, DS Techeetah led with 116 points, only seven points ahead of Virgin Racing in second place. In third place is the Mahindra Racing with 102 points; tie on points with Audi. BMW Andretti completing the top five with 82 points.

Maximilian Günther kept his Dragon Racing seat in Paris, as Felipe Nasr is focusing his preparations for the next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.[3]

Practice

Practice 1 took part in damp conditions early in the morning. On his very first lap Lucas Di Grassi of Audi Sport got all out of shape and put the car into the wall on the out lap. He made it back to the pits but missed the rest of the session due to the damage he sustained in the crash. DS Techeetah driver Jean-Éric Vergne also lost the car early on and spun and skated of the track and down the escape road. Sébastien Buemi of Nissan e.dams collided with Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird and consequently spun, with Bird spinning into the outside wall. Many drivers going down the escape road at Turn 3 with lock ups. Robin Frijns of the Virgin Racing pushed too hard and hit the wall on the exit of Turn 3 with Sébastien Buemi spinning and following Frijns in. Then Sam Bird hit the wall in the same place as his teammate but sustained a lot more damage and was consequently out of the session and missed the second practice due to the damage. André Lotterer in the DS Techeetah was quickest after the red flag came out and brought the session to an early end.

The second practice session took part in dry conditions on the streets of Paris. Everyone left the pits as soon as possible except Sam Bird whose car was still being worked on after his heavy crash in FP1. Alex Lynn of Jaguar Racing pushed too hard and gently put the car into the wall at slow speed and, fortunately with minimal damage was able to continue. Sébastien Buemi spun and crossed the finish line backwards as he spun through the final corner. Dragon Racing driver José María López then crashed in the same place as Alex Lynn. Carrying on his form from his win in Rome last time out Mitch Evans put his Jaguar quickest of the session with a time of a 1:00.226, followed by Oliver Rowland and Lucas Di Grassi.

Qualifying

Mitch Evans brushed the wall in group 1 qualifying and took some of the wall branding off. Jérôme d'Ambrosio was the only driver who made it from group 1 to superpole. In group 2 Robin Frijns set a strong lap to book his place in super pole. Sébastien Buemi, Oliver Rowland, Pascal Wehrlein and Felipe Massa were the other 4 drivers to make it to superpole. Wehrlein took pole position from Oliver Rowland and Sébastien Buemi.

Race

The race was started behind the safety car. After the race got going, drama started when rain appeared causing mayhem. After the rain was stopped, the drivers finally got some control of their cars after the chaos and drama that’s happened during the race

Post-race

Classification

Qualifying

DriverTeamTimeGap
194 Pascal WehrleinMahindra1:00.38322
222 Oliver Rowlande.Dams-Nissan1:00.535 +0.152 1
323 Sébastien Buemie.Dams-Nissan1:00.768+0.3852
44 Robin FrijnsVirgin-Audi1:00.793 +0.4103
519 Felipe MassaVenturi1:01.217 +0.8344
664 Jérôme d'AmbrosioMahindra1:01.307+0.92421
76 Maximilian Günther1:00.719 5
836 Andre Lotterer1:00.738+0.019 6
966 Daniel AbtAudi1:00.739 +0.0207
1011 Lucas di GrassiAudi1:00.761 +0.0428
118 Tom Dillmann1:00.784 +0.065 9
1248 Edoardo Mortara1:00.801 +0.08210
1316 Oliver TurveyNIO1:00.876 +0.15711
1425 Jean-Éric VergneTecheetah-DS1:00.886 +0.167 12
152 Sam BirdVirgin-Audi1:00.928 +0.20913
1628 Antonio Felix da Costa1:00.952 +0.23314
173 Alex LynnJaguar1:01.012 +0.29315
1827 Alexander Sims1:01.037 +0.318 16
1917 Gary PaffettHWA-Venturi1:01.135 +0.41617
2020 Mitch Evans1:01.243 +0.52418
215 Stoffel VandoorneHWA-Venturi1:01.471+0.75219
227 José María LópezDragon-Penske1:07.494+6.77520
Source:
Notes:

Race

DriverTeamTime/RetiredPoints
14 Robin FrijnsVirgin-Audi3247:50.510325+1
236 André LottererTecheetah-DS32+1.373618
366 Daniel AbtAudi32+3.175715
411 Lucas di GrassiAudi32+3.666812
56 Maximilian GüntherDragon-Penske32+5.456510
625 Jean-Éric VergneTecheetah-DS32+6.694128
728 António Félix da CostaAndretti-BMW32+7.238146
817 Gary PaffettHWA-Venturi32+7.901174
919 Felipe MassaVenturi32+10.52242
1094 Pascal WehrleinMahindra32+10.998221
112 Sam BirdVirgin-Audi32+11.488 13
1222 Oliver Rowlande.Dams-Nissan32+19.45113
137 José María LópezDragon-Penske32+24.02320
1416 Oliver TurveyNIO32+1:22.22611
1523 Sébastien Buemie.Dams-Nissan31+1 Lap2
1620 Mitch EvansJaguar31+1 Lap18
1764 Jérôme d'AmbrosioMahindra29Accident21
Ret3 Alex LynnJaguar23Collision15
Ret48 Edoardo Mortara23Collision10
Ret27 Alexander Sims18Collision16
Ret5 Stoffel VandoorneHWA-Venturi18Suspension19
Ret8 Tom DillmannNIO17Accident9
Source:
Notes:

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
+/–DriverPoints
51 Robin Frijns81
12 André Lotterer80
13 António Félix da Costa70
14 Lucas di Grassi70
45 Jérôme d'Ambrosio65
Teams' Championship standings
+/–ConstructorPoints
1 DS Techeetah142
2 Virgin-Audi135
13 Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler129
14 Mahindra103
588

References

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Formula E reveals season five calendar for 2018/19 . Autosport . 10 March 2019.
  2. Web site: Standings – 2018-2019 FIA Formula E Championship . Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . 26 April 2019.
  3. Web site: Smith . Sam . Guenther Remains in Dragon Car for Paris . e-racing 365 . 27 April 2019.