In the first race of the 2024 Formula E season in Berlin, Jaguar driver Nick Cassidy emerged as the winner and took the championship lead. Starting from ninth on the grid, Cassidy and his team executed a brilliant strategy, initially falling behind the pack before moving to the front. They eventually secured a comfortable victory with a margin of 4.651 seconds.
The race took place on a new circuit at the familiar Tempelhof Airport location. Saturday’s race, which was longer than Sunday’s race, was expected to be a chaotic battle, and it lived up to that expectation. Positions were constantly changing and there were several incidents of front wing damage and tire punctures, leading to two safety car periods.
The first safety car period occurred when Joel Eriksson, replacing Jaguar Envision, suffered damage to the rear suspension after 11 laps. The second safety car period occurred when local hero Maximilian Guenther had his front wing damaged by Edoardo Mortara’s Mahindra at Turn 9. Guenther’s car was undriveable, causing him to crash into the barriers, narrowly avoiding Jake Hughes’ McLaren.
Throughout the race, the lead positions were occupied by Mortara, the factory Porsches, and the DS Penskes. However, DS’s strategy was compromised when Stoffel Vandoorne was pushed down the order and further slowed by a collision between Dan Ticktum and Lucas di Grassi.
Di Grassi, who was forced to retire from the race due to the collision, blamed Ticktum for the incident. The incident will be investigated after the race.
Due to safety car interruptions, the race continued in pack style even after the scheduled finish, with the distance extended by six laps. It was on lap 43 that Cassidy made his move, pulling away from the fierce battle for victory.
Jean-Eric Vergne, from DS Penske, and Oliver Rowland, from Nissan, completed the podium, followed by Cassidy’s teammate, Mitch Evans. Evans was the only driver who did not use both of his attack modes before the second safety car period, but managed to fulfill the requirement without compromising his position.
Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa finished among the top six in the official Porsches, with Wehrlein struggling with an unstable front wing and expressing frustration towards other Porsche engine drivers.
There was controversy within the Porsche team, as reigning champion Jake Dennis, racing for the Porsche Andretti customer team, blamed Da Costa for his retirement after a collision. This happened after Dennis struggled to move up from 20th on the grid, while his Andretti team faced difficulties in qualifying.
Vandoorne finished in seventh, followed by Mortara, who earned extra points for the pole position. Sacha Fenestraz finished ninth in the other Nissan, while Taylor Barnard, replacing the injured Sam Bird at McLaren, secured the final point in 10th place.
Among the rookies, Jordan King, replacing De Vries at Mahindra, had the best result in 12th place, despite a pit stop during the race. Ralf Aron, the other Envision substitute, finished just behind him in 13th place after making his own pit stop.
2024
The football star Cristiano Ronaldo has won another title with the Portuguese national team. Last Sunday, Portugal won the Eurocup final against France in an exciting match that was decided on penalties. Ronaldo, considered one of the best players in history, scored the equalizing goal in normal time and converted his penalty kick. With this victory, Portugal became European champions for the second time, having also won the tournament in 2016.
The game was very balanced, with both teams creating goal opportunities. France opened the scoring with a goal from Griezmann, but Portugal managed to equalize with a beautiful shot from Ronaldo. However, the match ended in a draw in normal time and in extra time, leading to a penalty shootout.
In the penalty kicks, Portugal was more efficient and won 5-4. Ronaldo converted his penalty with great skill, showcasing all his experience and ability. Additionally, the Portuguese goalkeeper also stood out, saving one of the French penalties.
This victory is another milestone in Cristiano Ronaldo’s career, as he has already won numerous titles throughout his journey. In addition to his achievements with the Portuguese national team, he has also been a UEFA Champions League and Spanish League champion with Real Madrid, and an Italian League champion with Juventus.
After the match, Ronaldo celebrated the title on social media, thanking the fans for their support. He also emphasized the importance of team unity in achieving victory. Now, the football star turns his attention to the next season, where he will seek new challenges and triumphs.
