Portland ePrix 2024: Antonio Felix da Costa follows in his footsteps, Jaguars in trouble
Porsche's Portuguese driver won the first race of the weekend in Portland, taking advantage of the Jaguar team's mistakes.
The first race of the Portland ePrix was once again very lively. Just like this season 10, you didn’t want to miss any of the on-track action from the first to the last lap.
Starting from pole position, Mitch Evans had a good chance of delivering a strong performance. Further back in tenth position on the grid, his teammate Nick Cassidy was once again going to treat us to a crazy comeback only he knows the secret to.
At the start, on a very energy-consuming track, Evans gives way to his pursuer Jake Hughes and his McLaren. After a rather calm first lap, it is the Andretti drivers who animate the early stages of the race. Second on the grid, Norman Nato manages to take the lead ahead of his teammate Jake Dennis, thus delighting the American audience and Michael Andretti, who made the trip to Oregon.
The Mode Attack game is gradually taking shape. The leading position changes hands several times and on the fifth lap, while trying to defend his position on Hughes, Evans makes contact with the Englishman’s McLaren. He will receive a five-second penalty for this move at the end of the race.
In the second part of the race, it will be Cassidy and Jean-Eric Vergne who will liven up the debates. Back at the front of the pack, the championship leader leads the way with his teammate and Antonio Felix da Costa, who is still well placed during this first event of the weekend.
On his side, starting 14th in his DS E-TENSE FE23, Vergne, impeccable in his energy management, holds the lead of the race for a while before finishing 3rd, his third podium of the season, the fourth for DS Penske who now climbs to third place in the team standings.
At the end of the race, as we were heading towards a Jaguar double, Cassidy goes off the track in the penultimate corner of the penultimate lap. Rejoining the back of the pack, he will finish out of the points. Evans thus crosses the line in first position but is demoted to eighth due to his penalty.
Da Costa is therefore declared the winner ahead of Robin Frins and Jean-Eric Vergne. The Portuguese driver wins his third victory in the last four races, his second consecutive one after Shanghai.
Before the second race of the weekend this Sunday at 11 pm (French time), Cassidy is still leading the championship ahead of Pascal Wehrlein and Mitch Evans.
