Hard-Fought Points Finish for Envision Virgin Racing in Dramatic Mexico City E-Prix

• Briton Sam Bird makes up 13 places from back of grid to finish ninth
• Team head to next race in Hong Kong in second place in championship standings
• Result moves team’s Formula E career points tally to 700

 Envision Virgin Racing secured a hard-fought points finish during today’s dramatic Formula E Mexico City E-Prix, with Sam Bird making up an impressive 13 places from the back of the grid to ensure he and his team continue as front-runners in both the drivers’ and the constructors’ championship. 

In front of a packed crowd at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit, the Briton carved his way through the field in a race that had drama throughout to finish ninth and move him into third-place in the drivers’ standings, with Envision Virgin Racing in second spot overall. Meanwhile, team-mate Robin Frijns drove an equally standout drive making up nine places to finish just behind in P11. 

After showing strong pace during the morning’s practice sessions, Bird then endured a difficult qualifying session meaning he was unable to set a time and leave him down in 22nd. Frijns, who like Sam started in the first qualifying group, was unable to get a good lap in and would eventually start just two positions ahead of his team-mate. 

As the race got underway, the opening laps saw both drivers gain ground before a heavy crash for Nelson Piquet Jr caused a red flag and a lengthy stoppage. At the safety car restart, with the race now recalculated to 40 minutes plus one lap, Frijns was running P12 with Bird in P14 and chasing hard for a top 10 finish. 

With 20-minutes left on the clock, Frijns was now locked in an intense battle with Jose Maria Lopez and Oliver Turvey which the 27-year-old was able to overcome, while Bird had been able to use his Attack Modes strategically to gain ground and jump them all. 

With just two laps remaining, several drivers ahead began to struggle with energy management, forcing them to slow down and allowing Bird and Frijns to capitalise as the chequered flag was waved. The result also now moves the team’s career points tally to an impressive 700, the third highest of any Formula E team. 

Bird, 32, said: “We’ve always had mixed results at this track and today was one of them. Qualifying was really frustrating and to start so far down the order is always tough. I actually thought it would take a miracle to score points from this position, but we did just that. We just kept pushing, in what was a crazy race, and got our reward.” 

Frijns said: “That was certainly a tough day. We weren’t quite there on pace in practice and then qualifying didn’t go our way either. Of course, starting at the back hampered us in the race, but we made the most of it and were unlucky not to come away with a points finish.” 

Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director at Envision Virgin Racing, said: “It’s been a challenging weekend for the team and the results don’t reflect our true potential, as our race pace was very strong. Sam and Robin both drove superbly in what was a chaotic race, especially with the long stoppage period. To come away with a points finish from where we started is a fantastic achievement for the whole team. For sure, we will look at the data and see where we can improve and look to come back stronger at the next race in Hong Kong.” 

The next Formula E round takes place in Hong Kong on March 10. For more information on Envision Virgin Racing, including access to the team’s media site, visit www.envisionvirginracing.com.

2018/2019 ABB FIA Formula E Championship Mexico City E-Prix – Race results (Rd 4):
1. Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, 45laps (25pts)
2. Antonio Felix da Costa, BMW i Andretti Formula E, +0.436s (18pts)
3. Eduardo Mortara, Venturi Formula E, +0.745s (15pts)
4. Jerome D’Ambrosio, Mahindra Racing, +1.159s (12pts)
5. Andre Lotterer, DS Techeetah, +1.785s (10pts)
6. Pascal Wehrlein, Mahindra Racing, +5.210s (8pts, P, FL)
7. Mitch Evans, Panasonic Jaguar Racing, +5.800s (6pts)
8. Felipe Massa, Venturi Formula E, +8.084s (4pts)
9. Sam Bird, Envision Virgin Racing, +8.356s (2pts)
10. Daniel Abt, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, +8.438s (1pt)
11. Robin Frijns, Envision Virgin Racing, +9.044s 

Driver standings (after Rd 4):
1. Jerome D’Ambrosio, 53pts
2. Antonio Felix da Costa, 46pts
3. Sam Bird, 45pts
4. Lucas di Grassi, 34pts
5. Pascal Wehrlein, 30pts
6. Andre Lotterer, 29pts
7. Robin Frijns, 28pts
8. Jean-Eric Vergne, 28pts
9. Mitch Evans, 28pts
10. Edoardo Mortara, 27pts 

Team standings (after Rd 4):
1. Mahindra Racing 83pts
2. Envision Virgin Racing, 73pts
3. BMW i Andretti Formula E, 64pts
4. DS Techeetah, 57pts
5. Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, 56pts