Mexico City Sees DS Virgin Racing Move Up To 3rd Position In The Championship Race
April 3, 2017 by DS Automobiles
◾Eventful Mexico ePrix results in podium finish for Sam Bird and P6 for Jose Maria Lopez
◾DS Virgin Racing proves the pace of the DSV-02 after Jose Maria Lopez led the way for several laps before a spin after trying to overtake D'Ambrosio
◾Due to the positive result in Mexico City, the team move to Monaco with increased confidence
A tense and dramatic race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, saw DS Virgin Racing move up to 3rd position in the championship, after a podium finish for Sam Bird and 6th position for Jose Maria Lopez. This result is very encouraging for the team and proves the pace that the DSV-02 is capable of.
The day wasn't without its ups and downs, as disappointing practice sessions left the team struggling for grip moving into qualifying. However, set up changes and great performances from both drivers meant Jose Maria Lopez started in 2nd position on the grid and Sam Bird in 5th.
A chaotic start to the Mexico City ePrix saw an early crash on lap 2 which resulted in Prost, Sarrazin and Di Grassi in the pits for nose and wing repairs. Both DS Virgin Racing drivers managed to avoid the chaos and maintained their positions at P2 and P5 with a safety car for the next 2 laps.
Jose Maria Lopez was able to pass a slowing Oliver Turvey and took the lead before the safety car was deployed to move his stricken car off the track. The Argentinian driver was looking strong and was pulling away from the field for several laps.
An early car change from Di Grassi and D'Ambrosio during the safety car period meant that following all pit stops Lopez and the chasing pack were leapfrogged, but Jose Maria Lopez had more than 20% more energy than both drivers ahead of him.
Sam Bird was also looking strong in 5th place and it looked as though a 1 and 2 finish could have been possible as D'Ambrosio was struggling for energy in 2nd place. After fighting with D'Ambrosio for a number of laps, Lopez tried to overtake on the outside of turn one, but lost the rear of the car in the dust causing him to spin off track losing a number of places.
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A drawn out battle with Sam and Vergne saw their cars coming very close at times. With D'Ambrosio losing more energy, Sam moved into 3rd position on lap 44 with an excellent pass on the outside of turn 2 securing his podium finish. Shortly after, a collision in the stadium section involving multiple cars meant that Lopez finished the race in 6th place. Sam Bird 'The team did an amazing job, we struggled in FP1 and FP2 so finishing in 3rd and 6th place is a great result'. Lopez commented 'The team gave me an excellent car today. Throughout the first half of the race I was faster than those behind me and didn't have a problem keeping the gap. For the first time this season I knew I had the pace to win. I felt I needed to overtake D'Ambrosio at that time but maybe it was the wrong place. This will take some time to pass but the positive is we proved as a team today and with Sam, we have the pace to win races'. Team Principal Alex Tai stated 'I'm delighted with the performance of the team today, despite the fact that a 1st and 2nd didn't materialise. Challenging engineering and strategy decisions were correctly judged and both drivers showed their ability throughout the day. We can move forward to Monaco with a deserved increase in confidence'. Xavier Mestelan Pinon, DS Performance Director commented 'We've made encouraging progress in team championship. The first half of Jose Maria Lopez's race showed our car has good performance and pace in it. We can see that the DSV-02 is able to increase the gap between other teams while consuming less energy.' FIA Formula E – Mexico City ePrix – Provisional Results 1 Lucas DI GRASSI 2 Jean-Eric VERGNE 3 Sam BIRD 4 Mitch EVANS 5 Nicolas PROST 6 José María LOPEZ About DS AUTOMOBILES A French brand born in Paris, DS was founded on 1 June 2014. Its ambition is to embody the French know-how of luxury in its cars. Driven by its outstanding heritage and avant-garde spirit, DS perpetuates the values of innovation and distinction inherited from the first DS, launched in 1955. Designed for customers looking for a means to express themselves as individuals, the DS Collection comprises DS 3, DS 3 CABRIO, DS 4, DS 4 CROSSBACK, DS 4S, DS 5, DS 5LS, DS 6 and completed with DS 7 CROSSBACK. The models in the DS range stand apart through their avant-garde design, refinement and attention to detail, advanced technology and dynamic serenity. Presented at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, DS 7 CROSSBACK, the SUV by DS featuring Parisian-style innovation and savoir-faire, ushers in the second generation of DS models. With the DS 7 CROSSBACK La Première limited edition model, forward thinkers can reserve their car online or at a DS Store or DS Salon, and be the first to get behind the wheel. Committed to high-performance hybrid and electric cars, the Brand will launch the DS 7 CROSSBACK equipped with E-Tense, the hybrid powertrain by DS, in 2019. DS models are available from DS Stores, DS Salons and a selection of other dedicated spaces within the Citroën network. DS also has two flagship stores, DS WORLD PARIS and DS WORLD SHANGHAI. DS represents a brand experience that goes beyond the products to include ONLY YOU, a collection of exclusive services showcased at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.
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