The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship hosted its ninth round of the season in Monaco on Saturday. DS Automobiles stood out in qualifying before placing one of its two single-seaters in the points at the famous street circuit.
With third-fastest time in qualifying, Maximilian Günther demonstrated the excellent one-lap pace of the DS E-TENSE FE25. The German driver then underlined his strong form after a masterful start, holding onto his third place for around 10 laps.
The race took a different turn once the various strategies with Pit Boost and Attack Mode came into play, with his young team mate Taylor Barnard enjoying a better outcome from the tactical game. Starting from 11th on the grid, the young Briton gradually moved up through the order before taking advantage of a racing incident to finish in seventh place.
Günther, who crossed the line eighth, also believed that he had scored valuable points for DS PENSKE. But the German was ultimately dropped to 10th place after receiving a penalty for contact with another competitor. His consolation was setting the fastest lap of Saturday’s race, giving him plenty of reason to approach the final day in Monaco with high hopes of securing a better result.
The second race of the Monaco double header will get underway on Sunday May 17 at 15:00 CET.
Taylor Barnard:
“I’m pleased to have scored more championship points this Saturday, even though there was the chance to score more. Several drivers proved today that it was possible to start from the back of the grid and fight back to the front thanks to the various incidents among the leaders, so I feel a little bit frustrated. Having said that, we have another opportunity to shine tomorrow and we’ll do everything we can to maximise our chances.”
Maximilian Günther:
“I’ve got mixed feelings after Saturday’s race. On one hand, we had an exceptionally solid day: excellent pace in all three practice sessions as well as qualifying, not to mention the first half of the race, when we were running in the top three. I felt very comfortable in the car throughout the day. But the strategy aspect was more difficult, and we lost several places during the Pit Boost window. So we need to analyse exactly what happened and see how we can improve. The team has given us a very competitive car and we will try to finish the weekend on a stronger note tomorrow.”
