Da Costa clinches Shanghai E-Prix, Hughes bags podium debut
Antonio Felix da Costa claimed in Shanghai on Sunday his second win in Formula E’s Season 10, the Porsche charger edging NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes and Andretti’s Norman Nato.
After Saturday’s round of racing, Formula E’s field of drivers delivered another exciting race in the Shanghai, with some key championship battles taking shape.
Showcasing impressive energy management, de Costa pulled ahead on Lap 16 and maintained a comfortable lead throughout the remaining laps, despite a late push from Hughes.
The NEOM McLaren racer stole the show earlier in the day with a remarkable qualifying performance, securing his first Julius Baer Pole Position by a mere 0.001 seconds.
While he couldn't challenge Da Costa for the win, he held his own early on against championship leader Nick Cassidy and ultimately secured a well-deserved podium finish in his debut season.
Andretti's Norman Nato crossed the line in third place after leading the early stages of the race.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Cassidy was on course for a podium finish, but a late-race incident dislodged his front wing, forcing him to settle for fourth.
A costly pitstop due to a punctured tyre severely hampered Pascal Wehrlein's race. This incident, caused by contact with another driver, ultimately left the second Porsche driver without points and strengthened da Costa's championship position.
While both Cassidy and teammate Mitch Evans – Saturday’s winner – finished with some leftover energy, suggesting they could potentially have challenged for higher positions, Jaguar seems to be prioritizing long-term strategy.
Their strong fifth and sixth place finishes secure valuable points in the fight for both the Teams' and Manufacturers' Championships.
Further down the order, the battle for the remaining points positions was intense, with DS PENSKE drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Eric Vergne securing P6 and P7 respectively.
Maximilian Guenther, Robin Frijns, and Oliver Rowland rounded off the top-ten, while reigning FE champion Jake Dennis (Andretti) was unable to recover after a challenging race and finished outside the points in eleventh place.
©Flashscore
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