Vergne wins historic Formula E Race in India

Hyderabad: Jean-Éric Vergne (DS PENSKE) held on to win an extraordinary first-ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race in India in front of a sellout crowd and a host of dignitaries, Bollywood celebrities and sports stars.

Vergne fought hard in the final third of the race to stay ahead of Envision Racing pair Nick Cassidy and Sébastien Buemi, though António Félix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) ultimately took third after the Swiss was penalised post-race. It's Vergne's first trip to the top step of the Formula E podium since Rome in April 2021 (Season 7) and he achieved it in style. Vergne made his way to the front of the pack on lap 15 of 32 (plus one lap following a safety car), the double champion sweeping by Buemi at the hairpin after the Jaguar TCS Racingpair removed one another from the equation two laps prior.

That incident saw Sam Bird make a lunge on the dirty side of the track on fourth-placed Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan Formula E Team). The Brit could not slow his I-TYPE 6 in time, colliding with teammate Mitch Evans - who was in third at the time - pitching the Kiwi's car into a spin. Both Jaguars were ultimately forced into retirement with the unlucky Fenestrazalso left tumbling down the order in a race where a podium double looked a possibility for Jaguar.

Vergne led the way from that moment but had his mirrors full of Cassidy's Envision Racing machine as the chequered flag drew closer. The New Zealander had managed to gather up an extra four percentage points of usable energy on Vergne come the closing stages of the race. However, Vergne is regarded as the consummate Formula E fighter and used every trick in the book to keep Cassidy at bay and cross the line first in what many will regard as one of his best wins and one that will live long in the memory on Formula E's first visit to India in front of a sold-out crowd of over 25,000 people.

Buemi followed home in third but an overpower infringement saw him demoted to 15th spot via 17-second penalty, equivalent to a drive-through. That promoted TAG Heuer Porsche's António Félix da Costa onto the podium in his 100th race, the Season 6 champion having started the race in 13th. Teammate Pascal Wehrlein crossed the line fourth after picking his way through the order from 12th on the grid.SérgioSetteCâmaraavoided trouble and climbed through the pack from 15th on the starting grid to produce NIO 333 Racing's best result since Berlin in Season 4. Meanwhile, Oliver Rowlandmade a move for the podium on Buemi - not aware of the Swiss' impending penalty at the time - with just a lap to go. It didn't work out and saw him shuffled to sixth. Nevertheless, Rowland collected his first points of the season for Mahindra Racing in the team's home race. Norman Nato steered to seventh and the TAG Heuer Fastest Lap.