In its final Formula E race, DS Automobiles secured a superb victory. Starting sixth on the grid, Taylor Barnard made perfect use of his energy strategy to claim his first win in the championship, on home soil.
DS Penske could not have hoped for a better finale. Following a season that was at times challenging, the Franco-American team returned to winning ways thanks to Barnard. At just 22 years of age, the Briton claimed his first Formula E victory after a particularly composed performance
He chose DS Automobiles’ final appearance in Formula E to open his account, giving the manufacturer a send-off that did justice to its impressive track record.
A completely revised energy equation
The second race in London presented a very different scenario to that of the previous day. Reduced to 35 laps compared to 38 on Saturday, it did not feature a mandatory Pit Boost stop. The drivers, however, had eight minutes of Attack Mode compared to four in the first race, and had to manage an energy allowance reduced from 30.85 to 28 kWh.
The strategic lessons from the previous day were therefore difficult to apply. The teams had to start their calculations from scratch, a task in which DS Penske proved particularly adept. From the third free practice session, held on Sunday morning, the pace proved to be more intense. The track, which had been further worn down following Saturday’s running, offered a higher level of grip, while stable temperatures allowed the teams to work more precisely on performance.
In the DS Penske garage, the engineers fine-tuned the car set-ups to give both drivers greater confidence ahead of qualifying. Taylor Barnard quickly established himself among the frontrunners, less than one hundredth of a second off the fastest time at the halfway point of the session.
A disruption caused by Lucas di Grassi’s Lola coming to a stand still reduced track time, but both DS E-Tense FE25s finished the session in the top 10 of the ‘300 kW’ classification (the power rating most commonly used in races).
Barnard through to the duels once again
Taylor Barnard, DS Penske
Photo by: DPPI
As on the previous day, both DS Penske drivers were in the same qualifying group. This was a tricky situation, as only four of the eight competitors could progress to the quarter-finals.
Barnard nevertheless managed to qualify for the head-to-head rounds for the 10th time this season. Facing Edoardo Mortara in the quarter-finals, he lost by just nine hundredths of a second to the Mahindra driver, thereby securing sixth on the starting grid.
Maximilian Gunther, who had initially qualified 11th, had to start from 14th following a penalty. At 3.04 pm sharp, the race got underway without any major incidents. The still-open battle for the drivers’ title helped to rein in the most determined drivers, while the two DS Penske cars adopted different energy strategies.
Barnard quickly activated the first phase of his Attack Mode to move up to third place, while Gunther chose to bide his time in the middle of the field, hoping to capitalise on his energy savings a little later in the race.
A victory built on patience
Barnard’s position gradually became very favourable. Ahead of him, the two Mahindras were consuming more energy, while the Briton maintained a greater energy reserve than his main rivals.
Taylor Barnard, DS Penske, Nyck De Vries, Mahindra Racing, Edoardo Mortara, Mahindra Racing
Photo by: DPPI
As the final third of the race approached, the podium was already within his reach, but the remaining 12 laps were high-risk. Completely at ease behind the wheel of his DS E-Tense FE25, Barnard held off the Porsches and Jaguars in turn while conserving his energy.
And when Evans, a contender for the world title, activated his Attack Mode behind him, the DS driver had a lead of more than four seconds over the Jaguar, which was unable to catch the DS Penske.
At the front, Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara activated their final six minutes of extra power almost simultaneously. Barnard had only four minutes left, so he bided his time and it proved to be the right decision!
Having closed the gap to just over a second behind Mortara, he in turn activated 350 kW mode, with two minutes of increased power and an extra two percent of energy at his disposal. The Briton then overtook Mortara to take second place. Then, with four laps to go, he was right on De Vries’s tail. Making the most of the final seconds of his Attack Mode, he launched a decisive move and took the lead in commanding fashion.
He never relinquished the lead, bringing a race built on patience, precision and remarkable energy management to a masterful conclusion.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, I still can’t believe it – it’s an incredible feeling,” said Barnard. “We executed this race perfectly, making the right decisions at the right time and, above all, never stopping believing in ourselves.
“I’d like to thank the whole team for helping me make this dream come true. This will remain a highlight of my career. ”
This victory, the last of the Gen3 era, marks the end of the 12th season of the Formula E World Championship, but also the end of DS Automobiles’ involvement in the series. After 11 seasons and three generations of electric single-seaters, the manufacturer leaves the championship with four world titles, 19 wins, 56 podium finishes and 26 pole positions.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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