Maximilian Guenther took his second consecutive Formula E Race at Home Challenge win at Hong Kong, claiming the first maximum points available in the event which is being run in aid of UNICEF.
BMW i Andretti Motorsport driver Guenther, who also competes in The Race’s All-Star Cup – Fully Charged by ROKiT Phones event, won the test event at Monaco last Saturday and followed that up by capitalising on an issue for Mercedes EQ driver and polesitter Stoffel Vandoorne on Saturday afternoon.
Vandoorne ran into the barriers on the second lap and dropped back to sixth position.
“It wasn’t easy race and the first two corners was really tight but Stoffel made a mistake and from there I was able to control the race and secure the points,” said winner Guenther.
Guenther was able to pull out a one-second gap to second-placed Nick Cassidy who is deputising at Envision Virgin Racing for Sam Bird who is set make his debut next week.
Cassidy started fourth but was able to take Pascal Wehrlein to seal the runners-up position ahead of the Mahindra driver who completed the podium.
Robin Frijns made it a strong result for Envision Virgin Racing with a fourth-place finish ahead of the delayed Vandoorne.
Oliver Turvey and Oliver Rowland enjoyed an all-British race-long scrap for sixth place with the Nissan edams driver able to finish just ahead at the chequered flag after a decisive final lap move at the hairpin.
Venturi racer Felipe Massa came through from 15th on the starting grid take eighth. The Brazilian headed home Jerome d’Ambrosio and Alexander Sims who took the remaining points.
Reigning Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne, who celebrates his 30th birthday today, retired from the race after suspected connection issues.
In the challenge race for sim drivers polesitter Petar Birliak, driving for NIO333, glanced the wall at the first hairpin but initially held off Porsche’s Joshua Rogers for most of the race.
However, Rogers applied huge pressure on the Birliak throughout the race and it eventually told when he made a clean move at Turn 6 on the penultimate lap.
BMW i Andretti Motorsport’s simracer Kevin Siggy took third place.
