A tricky qualifying session and unfavourable starting positions at the Formula E London E-Prix did not prevent the two drivers from DS Penske from making their mark in this penultimate race of the season.
Finishing 5th and 12th respectively, Taylor Barnard and Maximilian Gunther managed to hold their own in particularly challenging circumstances. The heatwave currently affecting Europe has not spared the UK, and on Friday afternoon, during the first free practice session, the thermometer read 33 °C in the air and around 10 degrees higher on the track.
The ‘indoor-outdoor’ nature of the ExCeL London circuit does not make it easy to find the right balance: between the sections exposed to the sun and those inside the building, grip conditions vary significantly. Some drivers have complained about fluctuating grip, but at DS Penske they prefer to put things into perspective.
“Everyone’s in the same boat; I think the main focus should be on getting the most out of the cars ahead of qualifying,” explained Barnard. “It’s narrow here and overtaking is difficult. So, grid position is important, but nothing is impossible.”
At the wheel of his DS E-Tense FE25, sporting a spectacular gold livery for the occasion, the young Briton immediately demonstrated his ease by setting the fourth-fastest time in this first session.
A gruelling Saturday in London
Maximilian Gunther, DS Penske, Taylor Barnard, DS Penske
Photo by: DPPI
The 40-minute free practice session on Saturday morning was largely devoted to fine-tuning the set-up. Both DS E-Tense FE25s made several pit stops to carry out various adjustments.
“Even though we’re not competing for the championship this weekend, we’re really keen to do well and achieve the best possible result,” emphasised Gunther. “We’ve shown on several occasions this season that we can compete at the front of the field, and I hope that will be the case once again.”
Temperatures were lower than the previous day, and the differences in track surface, particularly between the inner and outer sections of the circuit, was less of a hindrance. On a track that remains just as bumpy, the pace gradually increased.
The two DS Penske cars confirmed their potential by occupying the top five for much of the session. As on Friday, Barnard finished the second practice session in fourth place.
In qualifying, the two DS E-Tense FE25s found themselves in the same group, complicating their progress to the quarter-finals. In an extremely tight session, Barnard just missed out on advancing by just two tenths of a second, whilst Gunther was forced to remain in the pits after a minor collision during his flying lap. As a result, Barnard secured 12th on the starting grid, whilst Gunther was 19th.
It is worth noting that whilst pole position earns three extra points, it is far from a guarantee of victory. Over the six previous weekends and 11 races held at ExCeL London, only three drivers who started from pole position have managed to win. At this stage, therefore, all hopes remained alive for DS Penske, especially as energy management is traditionally one of the team’s strengths.
An unconventional but successful strategy in the race
Taylor Barnard, DS Penske, Zane Maloney, Lola Yamaha ABT Formula E Team
Photo by: DPPI
For this first race of the weekend, 38 laps are on the programme. As with every double-header, a mandatory PitBoost stop adds an extra strategic dimension, whilst the six-minute Attack Mode allows drivers to benefit from a temporary power boost.
The London circuit, making its final appearance on the Formula E calendar, features a layout where overtaking is difficult. Its narrow sections and varying grip levels also make accidents more likely. The start was therefore relatively cautious, with the field more concerned with managing their energy than launching an immediate attack.
A first off-track incident on lap seven triggered a Full Course Yellow. On the restart, still in the heart of the field, the two DS Penske drivers continued to conserve their energy. They then had around one percentage point more battery charge than several of their direct rivals.
After the first third of the race, only one driver had used their Attack Mode. The majority of the field preferred to wait until the halfway point, and also manage their mandatory PitBoost stop.
It was at this point that DS Penske’s strategy began to pay off. Whilst many cars pitted relatively early, Barnard and Gunther extended their stints and gradually moved up the order. They both broke into the top 10. Barnard then chose to activate his Attack Mode to capitalise on his advantage immediately, whilst Gunther remained more cautious, banking on energy reserves to use towards the end of the race.
A second Full Course Yellow period, triggered by Lucas di Grassi’s Lola running off the track, once again froze the positions. When the race resumed, the Penske DS cars still had to make their mandatory pit stop.
Before heading into the pits, Gunther briefly moved up to third place, then to second. It was a spectacular comeback for the German driver, who had started from 19th position and established himself as one of the race’s key contenders.
The final 10 laps saw the pace pick up dramatically. Energy management gradually gave way to attacking driving, and the battles became much more intense. In this particularly hard-fought finale, Barnard managed to capitalise on DS Penske’s strategy to secure a solid 5th place, whilst Gunther finished 12th after gaining seven places from his grid position.
Beyond the sporting result, this latest top-five finish also holds symbolic significance for DS Automobiles. The 10 points scored by Barnard mean that the French manufacturer has now surpassed the 2,000-point mark in Formula E, since its debut with DS Virgin Racing, followed by DS Techeetah and now DS Penske.
This historic milestone serves as a reminder, ahead of the penultimate round of the season, of the important and unique place DS Automobiles occupies in the history of Formula E.
Sunday, will see the final race of the season take place on the same circuit, but without Pitboost and with an eight-minute Attack Mode.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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