Da Costa and DS TECHEETAH secure first win of the season in New York!

The six podium finishes amassed by the two DS TECHEETAH drivers before the New York E-Prix, despite some very stiff competition, provided ample evidence of that. But outright victory had thus far escaped their grasp. Not any more: in the Big Apple, in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighbourhood, Antonio Felix Da Costa won the second race of the weekend after a remarkable performance. And yet the weekend had not got off to a great start for the Franco-Chinese team. Sudden rain on day one had hampered their chances in qualifying. Things only got worse in the race itself, when Jean-Eric Vergne was sent into a spin on the opening lap by a fellow competitor and ultimately had to settle for a lowly eighteenth place. Meanwhile, Antonio Felix Da Costa had to retire after a clash with another car left him with a puncture. DS TECHEETAH was therefore out for revenge in Sunday’s race, determined to bounce back and prove its true worth. Da Costa’s second fastest time in qualifying, which became pole position when the original polesitter was penalised, confirmed that the black and gold single-seaters would be a force to be reckoned with in race two. Meanwhile, Vergne started from twelfth on the grid.

When racing got underway, Da Costa produced a flawless performance to claim his first win this season, DS Automobiles’ fifteenth in Formula E. Vergne, having moved up into the points, was hit by another competitor and was forced to retire from the race. “I'm very proud of our team today,” analysed Thomas Chevaucher, Director of DS Performance and DS TECHEETAH Team Principal. “Thanks to Antonio’s superb win, we’ve finally achieved the result to match the performance level that we have had since the start of the season! And although JEV was unlucky here in New York, I'm sure that he’ll be back in very solid form in London and we can share the top step of the podium with him too!” “It’s been a bit of a strange year for me,” admitted Antonio Felix Da Costa. “We’ve had some tough times and now, we’ve managed to bounce back. Every weekend, I get to do what I love. I'm leading my class in the WEC, I’m winning races in endurance and now, in Formula E. I’m just really enjoying this good run of positive results. Seeing the happy faces in my team is very special. Winning the New York E-Prix is just an incredible feeling. And when you lead from start to finish, it’s fantastic. DAC is back!” There is no doubt that Jean-Eric Vergne, still in the running for a third title, will be determined to bounce back at the next round of the championship, held in London on 30-31 July.

Championship update

Despite a disappointing weekend, Jean-Eric Vergne is still very much in contention to win a third Formula E championship. He is only twenty-seven points behind the current leader, and only eleven shy of the podium places, with four races left to go in London and Seoul. Antonio Felix Da Costa’s performance over the weekend moves him up to sixth place in the standings. It also keeps DS TECHEETAH in the fight for the teams’ title. The team lies joint second, ten points behind the leaders.