Image: Duncan White
Stoffel Vandoorne, from DS Penske, believed that his opportunity to win the Monaco E-Prix was ruined by the second Safety Car entry at the end of the race.
The Belgian driver secured third place, marking his first podium since the year he was champion in 2022, and the first for Penske. However, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated as he believed the victory was within his reach. When Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy, from Jaguar TCS Racing, executed their team strategy to secure a 1-2 victory, Vandoorne knew his chance was gone.
“That’s P3 for @svandoorne in Monaco 🇲🇨⚡️Great race!!! #DSPENSKE #dsperformance #abbformulae #motorsport #formulae #MonacoEPrix pic.twitter.com/cxsmnCbCjY
“I think we had a successful qualifying session,” Vandoorne stated. “We managed to get our position in P2, which was our goal. In the race, we managed the first part well.
“It was satisfying to take the lead and control the race. I executed my first Attack Mode perfectly and didn’t lose positions. Even after the first Safety Car, things were going well. However, it was the second Safety Car that cost us the race.
“I did more or less the same thing, but the gap was a bit smaller, so we lost the lead to the two Jaguars. As they were in front, they were able to play off each other and create gaps for each other, allowing them to use Attack Modes freely. For me, it felt like I was just doing laps and bringing the car home.”
Penske has shown improved performance since the arrival of technical specialist Phil Charles, coming from Jaguar. Both Vandoorne and his teammate Jean-Éric Vergne have demonstrated impressive pace in qualifying in Misano and Monaco, putting them in direct competition with many rivals. Although Vandoorne acknowledges the good performance of the car in a quick lap, he recognizes the need for improvements in the races.
“Our performance in qualifying has been consistently strong.
“We can secure high grid positions in many events, which definitely helps. However, the races continue to be a challenge for us, with varying levels of success.
“We are fully aware that there is still work to be done. Let’s see how we fare in Berlin.”
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