The Franco-American DS Penske team confirmed throughout the Monaco Formula E weekend that it was among the most competitive teams on the grid. Despite a convincing pace and both cars consistently in contention for points, the second race in the Principality ended with a result that fell short of expectations.
After securing third place in qualifying and setting the fastest lap in the first Monaco E-Prix on Saturday, Maximilian Gunther approached this second race with high hopes. Taylor Barnard, who had finished a solid seventh the day before, was also keen to build on this positive momentum.
Right from the single free practice session on Sunday morning, the two DS Penske drivers confirmed their intentions by setting the third and fourth fastest times, less than four tenths of a second off the fastest lap. Under these conditions, anything was possible.
In qualifying, conditions were significantly warmer than the day before and both drivers found themselves in Group B – where only the top four drivers secure a place in the duels. Barnard immediately showed his strength and dominated the session for a long time.
Gunther, on the other hand, had his first lap time disallowed for going off track before being slightly hampered on his final attempt. The German driver ultimately fell just seven hundredths of a second short of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Maximilian Gunther, DS Penske
Photo by: DPPI
But the cruellest margin of defeat was for Barnard. After setting an excellent lap, the Briton missed out on a place in the semi-finals by… a thousandth of a second to Antonio Felix da Costa and his Jaguar. A frustrating scenario that illustrates just how narrow the margins were on the Monaco circuit!
A solid strategy, but a frustrating outcome
The two DS Penske cars ultimately started from 6th and 12th on the grid, hoping to capitalise on a race that was expected to be very different from Saturday’s.
Unlike the first race of the weekend, the second race did not feature a mandatory pit boost. The drivers, however, had two opportunities to activate attack mode, offering more strategic possibilities and making overtaking easier.
The slightly shorter distance – 28 laps instead of 29 – also rendered the previous day’s energy strategy obsolete, forcing the engineers to revise their calculations. When the lights went out, the two DS Penske cars held their positions and quickly settled into a good rhythm. Ahead of them, several collisions disrupted the running order, but Barnard and Gunther avoided any incidents.
As is often the case in Monaco, activating attack mode on the outside of the Place du Casino corner cost them several positions temporarily before allowing them to fight their way back up the field thanks to the extra power and all-wheel drive. Long firmly established in the top 10, the two DS Penske drivers delivered a smart race, perfectly managing their energy. However, several race incidents ultimately compromised their chances of securing a strong result.
Maximilian Gunther, DS Penske
Photo by: DPPI
Whilst legitimately aiming for a top-five finish, Barnard made contact with the kerb during an overtaking attempt before the tunnel entrance. Gunther, caught up in traffic towards the end of the race, also lost several key positions. Both drivers ultimately finished outside the points, a harsh result given the level of performance shown throughout the weekend.
DS Penske nevertheless leaves Monaco with the confirmation that it has a competitive package and two drivers capable of regularly competing at the front of the field.
The next round of the Formula E World Championship will take place on 20 June in Sanya, China.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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