Seven years after its last appearance on the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship calendar, Sanya delivered a spectacular return to the series. High temperatures, complex energy management, numerous overtakes and a red flag combined to make Round 11 a thrilling contest around the Haitang Bay street circuit.
In demanding conditions, where energy management and track position proved crucial, the race quickly became unpredictable. A red flag, two Full Course Yellow periods and several incidents constantly reshuffled the strategic picture throughout the afternoon.
Starting from sixth on the grid, Nick Cassidy was one of the standout performers during the first half of the race. Thanks to an effective strategy and well-executed use of Attack Mode, the New Zealander steadily worked his way to the front and led the race for three laps.
Running comfortably amongst the leading group and looking set to challenge for a strong result, Cassidy’s race took a turn following the red flag triggered by a major mid-race accident.
After the restart, Cassidy encountered an issue affecting the braking system of his car and was forced to return to the pit lane. A subsequent speeding penalty in the pit lane further complicated his race, ultimately preventing him from being classified at the finish despite the promising pace he had shown throughout the day.
Jean-Éric Vergne started from thirteenth position. The Frenchman built his race patiently in an extremely compact field, gradually gaining positions through effective energy management and a solid strategy in difficult conditions.
Having spent much of the race battling around the top ten, the two-time Formula E World Champion climbed to the fringes of the top five during the closing stages.
Despite several position changes and further neutralisations late in the race, Vergne remained in the fight until the chequered flag. Initially classified ninth, he ultimately benefited from penalties applied to several competitors, promoting him to eighth place and securing four valuable championship points.
While the result does not fully reflect the potential demonstrated by the team, Citroën Racing Formula E Team leaves Sanya with valuable learnings as the Asian leg of the season continues in two weeks’ time with a crucial double-header in Shanghai.
Citroën Racing Formula E Team Principal Cyril Blais said: “It was a particularly demanding and eventful race, probably exactly what you would expect from a circuit like Sanya. Between the high temperatures, the red flag and the multiple neutralisations, the conditions created a real challenge for the entire grid.”
“The final result does not fully reflect the potential we showed today, but we leave Sanya with valuable points and important learnings. Our focus now turns to Shanghai as we enter an important phase of the Championship.”
Citroën Racing Formula E Team Driver Nick Cassidy said: “Unfortunately, I didn’t score any points today and wasn’t classified at the finish. A lot of things went wrong during the race, which is disappointing because we showed good potential in the first half and were running at the front for a period.
There are still positives to take away from the weekend and we’ve learned a lot. I’ve enjoyed being back in China and now the focus is on taking those lessons into Shanghai.”
Citroën Racing Formula E Team Driver Jean-Éric Vergne: “That’s the end of the race for us and we finish P8. It was actually a pretty good race, even if we didn’t quite seem to have the pace to move further forward. I think we did a good job as a team today. I wish we could have made more of our second Attack Mode, but starting from P13 and finishing in the points is still a positive outcome.
We’ll take those points and keep working hard as we continue to improve the car ahead of the next races in Shanghai.”
