Photo : TVONE.
JAKARTA, JAKTIMES.COM – Two DS PENSKE / DS Automobiles team drivers, Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Éric Vergne, expressed satisfaction with their achievements of finishing in fourth and fifth positions in the main race of the ninth season/10th race of the Formula E at the Jakarta International E-Prix Circuit on Saturday.
According to official statements, both drivers agreed that their solid qualifying performances provided them with the confidence to excel in the main race.
Vandoorne ensured his return to the front grid amid the scorching heat of the Jakarta sun. The Belgian driver started in fifth place and climbed to fourth by the end of the 36-lap race.
“Finishing fourth is probably the best result we could achieve today. With Vergne finishing in fifth, we can be satisfied with today’s performance as we scored valuable points for the championship standings,” said Vandoorne.
“Another positive point to note is the qualifying session. It was truly challenging to perform on this circuit, but we managed to secure a good position on the grid! However, today I didn’t have enough pace to finish on the podium, but I hope we can do better on Sunday!” he added.
Meanwhile, Vergne expressed his contentment with finishing behind his teammate. For the 2018 and 2019 Formula E champion, the dusty track conditions made it quite difficult to keep his car stable.
“I couldn’t do any better. The conditions were tough because there wasn’t much grip, and keeping the car on track wasn’t easy. But in the end, we scored some significant points for the team, and we climbed up the rankings,” said the French driver.
As for the DS PENSKE team, they have the potential to return to the top three in the current team/constructor standings as they currently sit in fourth place. The French manufacturer is now only 19 points behind the leaders.
“It was a great race for the team today. We had a good qualifying session and then executed a smart race. We gained some valuable championship points,” said DS Performance Director Eugenio Franzetti.
“Tomorrow, we will set off again for the 11th race, and we are aware of the great potential of our DS E-TENSE FE23. We have the desire to do something special in our 100th race in Formula E!” he added (Ant/Jaktimes).
