Formula E

DS TECHEETAH bursts back into championship contention after double podium in New York

Motorsport Technology
12 Jul 2021
3 min read

The DS TECHEETAH Formula E team, partnered by Acronis, shot back into championship contention after drivers Jean-Eric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa both ascended the podium in New York.

It was Frenchman Vergne who almost closed out victory in Race 1 in the ‘Big Apple’ on Saturday, capitalising on his front row grid slot before finishing in exactly the same position, being passed by eventual winner Maximilian Guenther in an exciting conclusion to the race.

“I qualified second and finished second, it was a good race but it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity,” commented Vergne after the race. “Still, I am very happy with the points and coming back in the championship. Now let’s focus on tomorrow’s race and try to bring home maximum points.”

In the second race of the weekend double header, it was defending champion Da Costa’s turn to grab a trophy for his team, the Portuguese racer driving brilliantly to catapult from P7 on the grid to third by the finish.

“Podium in America! It’s so good to wrap up this weekend with a good result, coming from 7th and climbing through the field to finish on the podium and to be back to second in the standings,” commented Da Costa afterward. “The fight will go on until the end. Yesterday evening, we worked very hard with the engineers and the mechanics to improve the car, what an amazing team we have!”

The double podium for the team means that DS TECHEETAH is now only two points off Envision Virgin Racing in the team standings and Da Costa only five points behind Sam Bird and with his sights very much set on defending his 2020 crown.

“Finishing off a great weekend with a second podium for António, while maintaining a good momentum heading towards the final races,” commented Mark Preston, DS TECHEETAH Team Principal. “Taking home points every weekend is going to be the key to success in this championship and both António and JEV deliver when needed. It’s going to be a tough fight in the championship but we are very much up for the challenge!”

Thomas Chevaucher, DS Performance Director added: “We leave New York with two podium finishes, one per driver, which is very positive! The DS E-TENSE FE21 proved very quick all weekend but we have suffered two technical problems on JEV’s car today.

“Formula E is a very demanding championship where every detail is crucial. The gaps remain very narrow in the standings and we are still in the race for both the Teams’ and the Drivers’ titles. The fight is going to go down the wire and we are ready to fight in London in two weeks.”

To find out more about Acronis #TeamUp Program for Managed Service Providers, visit https://www.acronis.com/en-us/lp/msp-sports/

 

 

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