Cassidy powers through to win second race at Sabic Berlin E-Prix
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Envision Racing's Nick Cassidy went on to seal the race win in the 2023 SABIC Berlin E-Prix Round 8 as he shot from eighth position to the top step of the podium after a nail-biting wheel-to-wheel race.
The unique Berlin Tempelhof Circuit produced a second intensely tactical race, brimming with overtakes - 172 in total, making for 362 over the weekend - and featuring another strategic masterclass from the race winner. Starting eighth, Cassidy drove superbly to stay there - setting the pace and mastering Formula E's tightrope of ultimate pace, race craft and energy.
Preserving energy was again crucial at the slipstream-heavy racetrack, Cassidy fended off the close attentions of all comers, including each of his closest championship rivals during the race.
Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) who is now only within four points of the championship’s leader, Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team), was in striking distance to Cassidy, just half a second behind as they crossed the finish line. Wehrlein started sixth, in a stronger position than recent races, having complained of poor one-lap pace in qualifying, but found himself shuffled to seventh at the race's end.
Jean-Éric Vergne (DS PENSKE) admitted he didn't have the pace to challenge the Jaguar-powered Envision that ultimately raced to the top step, despite also intermittently leading the race. Nevertheless, the DS PENSKE driver will be pleased to have scored strongly with third, with an eye on the long game as the season passes its half-way stage.
Round 7 winner Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) made up a spot from his grid position to finish fourth, making it a superb weekend's work for the Kiwi and Jaguar TCS Racing. Despite teammate Sam Bird getting into contact and being forced out of contention in this encounter, the Jaguar powertrains have driven to victory in three consecutive races for the very first time in Formula E history, albeit in the hands of customers Envision Racing and Cassidy.
A day after securing the team’s first podium in Round 7, the standout drive was arguably Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Günther climbing 15 positions from 21st position to sixth. Pole-sitter Robin Frijns of the ABT CUPRA Formula E Team struggled to maintain pace and dropped to 17th at the end, with teammate and fellow front-row starter Nico Müller faring better with ninth on home soil to score the team's first points in the GEN3 era.
That left Wehrlein on top of the pile but by a narrow four-point margin to Cassidy, with Vergne third. TAG Heuer Porsche's advantage in the Teams' table also continues to fade away, with the Jaguar-powered Envision Racing squad now just 15 points back in second.