TAG Heuer Porche’s António Félix da Costa was victorious in the Formula E Race 1 of 2024 Portland E-Prix following a last-lap upset. It was looking to be a win for Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy, but following a spin on the last lap, he finished the race in P18. His teammate Mitch Evans was handed a five-second penalty for causing a collision, dropping him to P8. Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns would end the race in P2, with DS Penske’s JJean-Éric Vergne in P3.
Evans started on Pole following the first Qualifying session, but it was not necessarily be the prime position to start the race in. Strategy was key in the Formula E Race 1 of the 2024 Portland E-Prix, but in the end it may not be enough for the Kiwi to have a chance at the 2024 Drivers Championship.
As it Happened
At lights out, Evans had a good start and took the lead through Turn 2. NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes was close behind followed by Da Costa and Frijns. However, by the end of the first lap it was Hughes who led Evans, the two front-row drivers switching positions.
ERT’s Dan Ticktum found himself in P8, sinking down from P5 at lights-out. An initial transponder issue had him in P22, however he was still within the midfield.
The first deployments of attack mode began on Lap 3, with Andretti’s Norman Nato and Hughes two of the first to make use of it. Evans found himself in P6 with a 1:15.60 by the end of Lap 5. The grid positions were ever-changing. Nato led the pack with a best lap time of 1:15.08.
Jake Hughes was off onto the grass inside Turn 11 on Lap 6 following contact with Evans in the midfield. The Brit lost a mass of positions, plummeting down to 18th. Few drivers were yet to use their first Attack Mode by Lap 7 – most opted to deploy it early doors in order to be as energy efficient as possible.
Hughes was into the pits on Lap 7 following his trip off-track. The Brit had a rear puncture and was forced to change his tyres. Evans, caught in the midfield at the start, was suffering from front wing damage from the collision. However, he was able to retain the lead until the middle of Lap 10.
Attack Mode Heats The Race Up
The second deployments of Attack Mode began towards the end of the tenth lap. Drivers jostled for positions down the main straight, trying to avoid their competitors while gaining track position.
By Lap 11, the second TAG Heuer Porsche of Pascal Wehrlein was yet to deploy his Attack Mode, running a completely different strategy to the rest of the field. A great lap from Cassidy saw him emerge in P1, having been in P10 just a couple laps earlier.
NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird also found himself shooting through the pack, sitting in P2 on Lap 14 from deep in the midfield.
Evans Reprimanded
There was heartbreak for Mitch Evans, who was handed a 5-second time penalty for causing a collision with Hughes earlier in the race. The penalty could mark the end of the Kiwi’s 2024 Championship fight.
The times were tumbling now, with lap times hitting the 1:14s. Jean Eric Vergne sat atop the board with a 1:14.28, followed by Cassidy and Frijns. The lap times fell further by Lap 19. Drivers were posting 1:13 times; Cassidy was leading with a 1:13.02, Da Costa in P2 and Evans in P3. However, his five-second penalty was yet to be applied.
By Lap 20, Cassidy looked promising for the win. He had the highest amount of energy left with 33%, 20 seconds of Attack Mode and sat in P1. A fierce fight ensued between the New Zealand driver and Da Costa for four laps, with Da Costa briefly taking the lead before falling back into third. Evans sat in P2, with his teammate Cassidy ahead posting a 1:12.56.
Late-Race Upset
The Maserati MSG Racing of Jehan Daruvala spun off on Lap 23, briefly causing a yellow flag. However, he soon got himself back on track and returned in P18. There was more drama yet to come towards the end of the race. Nick Cassidy, in a fight with his teammate, lost the rear and spun on the last lap, picking the car back up out of the grass in P18. His teammate Evans, while remaining on track and in P1, would not finish in P1 due to his 5-second penalty. He would finish in P8.
Da Costa emerged victorious, followed by Frijns and Vergne. Mahindra Racing’s Edoardo Mortara finished in P4, followed by ABT Cupra’s Nico Müller in fifth.
Photo credit: Formula E | Sam Bagnall
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