Formula E finale: introducing the first ever ePrix Constructor’s Champion

It was all down to the wire for the championship in London, intense is the only word to describe the ePrix finale.

To call it a street race would be stretching it, the ePrix circuit in Battersea Park was nothing that the fans had anticipated. The roads were badly cambered and there is really barely any space for overtaking. It had seem like a brilliant overtaking move was too much to ask, but fans and ePrix watchers experienced no shortage of excitement during their weekend in Battersea Park.

The e.dams team’s Sebastien Buemi was all but out of contention when he was given a time penalty at the end of the race in Moscow. The Swiss was penalised for an unsafe release during his forgettable Moscow ePrix where the team had mistaken the maximum pitstop time and released him into the path of Nick Heidfeld’s exiting Venturi car. This had effectively put championship rival and early favourite Lucas di Grassi in second on the leaderboards.

But Buemi bounced back in the first round of the London ePrix. Not only did Buemi became the first driver to win three races in Formula E and collect a handful of podium finishes, he and team mate Nicolas Prost also brought home the constructor’s championship for the e.dams Renault team much to the delight of co-founder and racing legend Alain Prost.

All was not well for Buemi’s closest rival Nelson Piquet Jr. from Team China Racing. Piquet Jr. had a trying Round 10, not only was he caught up in a race-long battle with title contender Lucas di Grassi he was also caught up behind by a fast moving Jean Eric Vergne in the Andretti car after his wheel to wheel battle with di Grassi saw him running wide.

Lucas di Grassi spent his entire race defending his position, not just from title rival Piquet Jr. but from the unexpectedly quick Jean Eric Vergne. While he did well to keep Piquet Jr. behind him, he couldn’t keep the orange Andretti car in fourth. Vergne had hunted down di Grassi after taking advantage of Piquet Jr.’s mistake and pulled off a great overtaking move on di Grassi while locking up all four-wheels.

Buemi finished the race on the top step of the podium and, combined with the points he collected for nabbing pole position, has only five-points separating himself and title leader Piquet Jr. while reducing di Grassi’s title chances all at the same time. Di Grassi wasn’t entirely out of contention. The Brazilian won the Visa Fastest Lap by setting the fastest lap time during his late surge so combined with his fourth place, di Grassi was only 13 points behind in the championship.

Jerrica Leong