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Maximilian Guenther Snatches Dramatic Victory in Formula E’s Jeddah Debut as Pit Boost Shakes Up the Grid

Arthur Ling by Arthur Ling
February 14, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
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Maximilian Guenther Snatches Dramatic Victory in Formula E’s Jeddah Debut as Pit Boost Shakes Up the Grid

Formula E’s first-ever showdown in Jeddah delivered pure electricity—literally! DS Penske’s Maximilian Guenther pulled off a last-lap thriller, stealing the victory from a struggling Oliver Rowland, who ran low on energy just meters from glory.

With the brand-new pit boost format making its highly anticipated debut, chaos erupted from the start before an edge-of-the-seat finale saw three different teams and three different powertrains take wins in the first three races of the season.

Carnage From the Start!

If anyone thought Jeddah’s tight street circuit wouldn’t bring action, they were instantly proven wrong. The race kicked off with a pile-up that claimed multiple contenders—McLaren’s Sam Bird spun, Andretti Porsche’s Nico Mueller was sent airborne, and reigning champ Pascal Wehrlein suffered a brutal puncture after Jaguar’s Mitch Evans clattered into him under braking.

Wehrlein fumed over the radio: “Evans loves to crash into people!”—an ironic moment considering Evans then hit Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries just seconds later, shattering his front-left wheel cover.

Adding to the wreckage, Antonio Felix da Costa—who entered as the points leader—got rear-ended by Mueller, sending the Andretti driver skyward before he retired from the race. Da Costa soldiered on but later shed a rear-wing-sized chunk of debris, forcing a Safety Car that barely lasted long enough to help anyone regain lost ground.

Pit Boost Changes the Game

The long-awaited pit boost format added a fresh strategic wrinkle to the race, bringing mandatory pitstops back to Formula E for the first time in years.

Guenther, who had controlled the early pace, was ordered by his team to surrender the lead under the Safety Car to conserve energy. That opened the door for Rowland to take over, and after both had completed their mid-race pitstops, the Nissan driver looked untouchable—until the final moments.

The Final Lap Stunner!

With just four laps to go, Guenther flipped the switch and unleashed a relentless charge. He reeled in Rowland—who was visibly struggling to keep up the pace—before making his move in the dying seconds.

Down to the final chicane, Rowland’s energy reserves hit rock bottom, and Guenther pounced, snatching the lead with a spectacular overtake to become the first polesitter to win in 17 races.

Despite his car running on fumes, Rowland miraculously held onto second, fending off McLaren rookie Taylor Barnard, who capped off a brilliant drive with his second podium of the season.

Jeddah E-Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Results

🥇 Max Guenther (DS Penske)
🥈 Oliver Rowland (Nissan)
🥉 Taylor Barnard (McLaren)
4️⃣ Nyck de Vries (Mahindra)
5️⃣ Jake Hughes (Maserati)
6️⃣ Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Penske)
7️⃣ Edoardo Mortara (Mahindra)
8️⃣ Sam Bird (Nissan)
9️⃣ Antonio Felix da Costa (Porsche)
🔟 Stoffel Vandoorne (Maserati)

Championship Shakeup & What’s Next

With Rowland’s second-place finish, the Nissan driver jumps into the points lead, overtaking da Costa by four points. Meanwhile, Guenther’s first win of the season rockets him from 10th to third in the standings.

Jaguar had a nightmare outing, with both Evans and Wehrlein finishing outside the points after their early-race carnage. Porsche-powered cars also struggled, with da Costa salvaging a lone point-scoring finish.

But the battle is far from over! Jeddah’s Formula E spectacle continues with Race 2 on Saturday, where teams will have to adapt without pit boost—meaning strategy, energy conservation, and raw speed will decide the winner.

💥 Can Guenther go back-to-back? Will Rowland get redemption? Or will Barnard pull off a shock win for McLaren? One thing’s for sure—Formula E in Jeddah is an instant classic! 🚀⚡

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