Maximilian Guenther won the inaugural Jeddah E-Prix, claiming his first win for Ds Penske after a tough race. However, the German had to retire during the second race of the weekend.
On the other side of the box, Jean-Eric Vergne finishes in the points zone in both races.
DS Penske’s Jeddah E-Prix: A Successful Friday and a Bitter Saturday
DS Penske’s weekend started with a pole position.
Guenther obtained the fastest lap in qualifying for the first time since the Jakarta E-Prix of 2023. The German then led the race during the initial laps but lost the leadership with the pit boost.
The mandatory pit stop played an important role in the teams’ strategy. Oliver Rowland – the main Guenther rival in race one – opted for an early stop, while Guenther kept the extra energy boost for later in the race.
Guenther began his comeback during the last laps of the Jeddah E-Prix, obtaining second place on Lap 27 behind Rowland. The final lap of the race saw four cars fighting for the victory, the DS Penske driver included.
The German overtook Rowland just before the chequered flag, returning on the highest step of the podium for the first time since Season 10’s Tokyo E-Prix.
DS Penske collected important points with Jean-Eric Vergne, too. The French driver had a difficult qualifying session and started the race in 10th place.
During the Saudi E-Prix, JEV made some vital overtakes, crossing the finish line in sixth position.
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What Happened in the Second Race?
On Saturday 15th, drivers and teams came back to the track for the second race of the weekend. This time, the format was the traditional one, with the pit boost having room only in the first Saudi round.
Guenther obtained sixth place during the qualifying, while Vergne started the E-Prix in 12th position.
The race didn’t go as planned for the German. Just a few meters from the start, Guenther made contact with Antonio Felix Da Costa’s Porsche, breaking the suspension of his DS Penske.
The team had no choice but to then completely shift their full attention to JEV. The two-time Formula E champion was involved in the fight for the podium for most of the Jeddah E-Prix.
However, during the final laps of the race, the French driver dropped down the order, crossing the line in P7.
On the podium were Oliver Rowland, Taylor Barnard, and Jake Hughes.
DS Penske Championships’ Situation
After a DNF in race two, Guenther sits fourth in the Drivers’ Championship with 37 points. Just ahead of him, Porsche’s Da Costa is third with 39 points. Vergne is sixth with 26 points, trailing Maserati’s Jake Hughes (27) in fifth and Jaguar’s Mitch Evans (25) in seventh.
In the Teams’ Championship, DS Penske is fourth with 63 points – just one behind Porsche and five behind Nissan. The Japanese team leads with 68 points.
While DS Penske is not a constructor, its points contribute to Stellantis in the Manufacturers’ Championship, where the brand sits second with 83 points. Nissan leads the standings with 130 points.
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Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Andreas Beil
Recording Date: 15.02.2025
