Antonio Felix da Costa secures victory at the Misano E-Prix

Antonio Felix da Costa emerged victorious in the first race of the Misano E-Prix marking the the sixth different driver to win in the first six races of the 2024 Formula E championship.

Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa won the Misano E-Prix opener, making him the sixth different winner in as many races, demonstrating the close battle for top honours as every driver rallies to claim the 2024 Formula E championship.

In a race that saw a lot of close racing, Da Costa seized the lead in the closing laps despite qualifying a lowly 13th and defended it to prevail over Oliver Rowland by less than half a second with Jake Dennis finishing third to round out the podium.

Energy management was critical given Misano’s tight layout as air resistance always results in the leader losing efficiency, while those in the slipstream gain an advantage. Drivers constantly battled for the ideal position, resulting in a closely packed race.

Jean-Eric Vergne forced Nick Cassidy to pit for repairs after they made contact through the chicane. On the following lap, Pascal Wehrlein came into contact with Vergne, shattering his front wing and causing minor damage to Vergne’s DS Penske. Vergne later received a five-second time penalty from the stewards for the Cassidy incident.

Sam Bird proceeded to take the lead after making an effort to break free of the “mess,” as he put it. However, he eventually dropped to the bottom of the pack and eventually suffered a left-rear puncture that forced him into the pits and retired from the race.

Having a greater energy reserve compared to the runners behind him, Da Costa maintained his lead over Rowland and Vergne in the final stages of the race. On the last lap, Rowland attempted to pull closer to the Porsche, but Da Costa used his slightly more energy to hold off the Nissan and win the race for the first time this year.

Rowland came in second place just under a second behind the winner, while Vergne crossed the finish line in third place but lost his podium spot to Dennis following his penalty. Maximilian Guenther finished fourth while Dan Ticktum secured his highest FE finish by placing fifth.

Jaguar’s Mitch Evans finished sixth as Sergio Sette Camara placed seventh, while Vergne dropped to eighth place following his five-second penalty. Norman Nato finished ninth while Stoffel Vandoorne claimed the final point in tenth place.

The first driver to retire from the race was Edoardo Mortara, who withdrew after the first lap. Later Bird and Cassidy both retired after making repairs and resuming the race while Jehan Daruvala turned out to be the final retirement after pulling off the track on the very last lap.

Although the Porsche charger was the star of the race event at Misano, the championship showdown remains fascinating to observe. Leading the standings with 73 points is Oliver Rowland, closely followed by reigning champion Jake Dennis (Andretti) with 68 points.

The 2024 Formula E season is expected to feature an exciting battle for the championship title among several formidable competitors and unpredictable races.

2024 Misano E-Prix Race 1 Results