Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team in the points on return to Mexico 13.02.2022: Nyck de Vries finishes sixth in the third round of the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship - the Mexico City E-Prix - with Stoffel Vandoorne finishing the race in eleventh place • Nyck and Stoffel each set the fourth fastest time in their q

Nyck de Vries finishes sixth in the third round of the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship - the Mexico City E-Prix - with Stoffel Vandoorne finishing the race in eleventh place

•    Nyck and Stoffel each set the fourth fastest time in their qualifying group to progress to the quarter-finals, where they had to settle for sixth and eighth on the grid after losing out to their immediate opponents.


•    Nyck was in the points for most of the 40 laps but was overtaken by a clutch of cars in the latter stages of the race. Having dropped out of the top ten, he then clawed his way back up to P6 in an exciting run-in to the finish line.


•    Stoffel looked assured in P7 for most of the race and was even in contention for P5 in the closing minutes when he was spun around in the hotly contested chasing group and eventually took the chequered flag in eleventh.


•    Edoardo Mortara (43 points) leads the Drivers' World Championship by a margin of five points ahead of Nyck (38 points), with Stoffel (28 points) in fifth.


•    After the third round of the season, Venturi Racing (68 points) tops the team standings ahead of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team (66 points).


•    The next two rounds of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship 2021/22 season will take place in Rome on the 9th and 10th of April.




Driver    FP1    FP2    Qualifying    Race    Standings


#17 N. de Vries     P7
1:07.872 22 Laps     P20 1:08.357
21 Laps     P6 (Quarter-Final)
1:07.367     P6 Grid: P6 FL: 1:09.877     P2
38 Points


#5 S. Vandoorne     P12
1:08.165 22 Laps     P12 1:08.001
22 Laps     P8 (Quarter-Final)
1:07.719     P11 Grid: P8 FL: 1:09.753     P5
28 Points




 
Nyck de Vries:


"I have mixed feelings about this race because it was not very enjoyable in the car. It was very tough, as the top five were committed to the long game and we wanted to play the same game with them. But obviously the drivers behind us were kind of racy, and when you then get drawn into this sort of fight, it makes it difficult to keep up with the front-runners.


I missed one of the activation zones for attack mode, which cost me a bit of track position, but ultimately the team were very brave and committed. We kept faith with each other and went for it. Ultimately, it played out well and we got back into P6 where we had started from. As a bonus, we even posted the fastest lap, so overall I am satisfied with our day. I don't think we were quite quick enough, so from that perspective, this was a decent result."
 


Stoffel Vandoorne:

"I am quite disappointed, actually. I was running in a points-scoring position for most of the race and everyone was dying on energy on the final laps, but then I got spun around by near the end with two laps to go. It's frustrating because, without that, I would have finished in P5.



We lost a lot of points today. It was a tough race, but unfortunately you get days like that. We had a good start to the campaign in Diriyah with a podium and a points finish, but we struggled a bit more here in Mexico. We now need to analyse the data and do our homework so that we can come back stronger in Rome."
 



Ian James, Team Principal:


"Before I comment on our race weekend, let me take the opportunity to congratulate our friends from Stuttgart - Porsche - on a masterful 1-2.
 


For us Mexico has, once again, proven to be a challenging hunting ground. With the performance delta between the teams so narrow, if you don't start in a strong position from the off, you leave yourself with an uphill battle in all subsequent sessions; this was symptomatic of our race weekend.
 


Nyck and Stoffel were both able to extract enough performance to see them into the knock-out stages of qualifying. The race itself turned into a real test of choice of strategy and adaptability. The drivers managed this very well - fuelled by all the work taking place in the background. Despite this, being surrounded by cars on differing strategies brings an increased risk of an incident and Stoffel was denied a potential 5th place finish after being spun on the penultimate lap. Nyck was able to finish 6th, with an extra point for fastest lap.
 


We now have time prior to the next race in Rome to ensure that we put ourselves in the right position from the start.
 


I always like to end on an optimistic note, with an eye on the next challenge: Mexico has, yet again, provided a stunning backdrop and atmosphere for the E-Prix. To see all the passionate fans in the Foro Sol is a true privilege - and a positive sign for the future!"
 
 

 
Sjoerd van Wijk - photos Mercedes