Two races on Red Hook's extended street circuit, a Drivers' Championship settled by Jean-Eric Vergne and an Audi team title won by two points.
Di Grassi's race one win from 11th was followed by a race two victory for Vergne, who took the Drivers' Championship. Audi's points gave the team its title by two points over Techeetah.
The 2018 New York City ePrix was a pair of Formula E races held on 14 and 15 July 2018 at the Brooklyn Street Circuit in Red Hook. It was the second annual edition of the event and the 11th and 12th rounds of the season. Lucas di Grassi won the first race from 11th on the grid, and Jean-Eric Vergne won the second from third to secure the Drivers' Championship, while Audi took the teams' title by two points.
When and where was the 2018 New York City ePrix held?
The double-header took place on 14 and 15 July 2018 at the 14-turn Brooklyn Street Circuit, which measured 1.47 mi (2.37 km). It was the second year the event had been held in the city. Organisers expected 40,000 people to attend over the weekend, and Formula E arranged for Red Hook community groups to hand out 1,000 free race-day tickets to local residents.
The circuit had been modified since the year before. The track was pushed further north and west, reaching Summit Street and Hamilton Avenue, and a four-turn complex with a left-hander and three right-handers replaced the old right-hand hairpin on Bowne Street. The changes increased the length of the circuit by 0.5 km (0.31 mi), and they were made to suit the more powerful second-generation car.
The two races marked the end for the Spark-Renault SRT 01E car, which the SRT05e would succeed from the 2018-19 season. Renault was also stepping away from the series as a team and engine maker, and Nissan would take over the partnership.
A race-one win for di Grassi, a race-two win for Vergne and an Audi team title decided by two points.
What was the championship picture before New York?
Vergne led the drivers' championship with 163 points going into New York. Sam Bird was second on 140 points, and Lucas di Grassi third on 101. Sebastien Buemi was fourth on 92, and Felix Rosenqvist was six points behind him in fifth. Techeetah led the teams with 219 points, 33 ahead of Audi.
Bird had won both races in New York the year before, and he was the underdog in the title race. Vergne's team stressed that it would not change its approach, and it had prepared with maximum care. Bird believed that if Vergne had a bad Saturday, the pressure would be on him the following day. With 58 points still available across the final two races, Vergne could clinch the title in the first race if he won and Bird scored no points.
Who changed the line-up for New York?
Venturi driver Edoardo Mortara had a DTM commitment for Mercedes-Benz at the Zandvoort circuit, because of his second place in that series. Tom Dillmann, the team's test and reserve driver, took his seat. He had driven for Venturi seven times in the 2016-17 season. It was the second time that season Dillmann had replaced Mortara, and the stewards allowed the change through an exception to the rule that barred driver changes in the final three races.
How did qualifying set the first race?
Buemi took the tenth pole position of his career with the fastest lap in qualifying, and Evans was second with Buemi's teammate Prost third. Vergne and Lotterer had their qualifying lap times nullified in group four for overusing the maximum power, because of a software glitch affecting a control system. Di Grassi started 11th on the grid.
Turvey had fractured a metacarpal in his left hand after losing control on a maximum-power lap in the second practice session, and he missed qualifying. He was later withdrawn on medical grounds, and Ma Qinghua replaced him for the Sunday race. Both practice sessions had been held in dusty conditions, and the drivers struggled with traffic on the narrow circuit.
Who won race one on 14 July?
Lucas di Grassi won race one after starting 11th, his second consecutive victory and the eighth of his career. Daniel Abt finished second, 0.965 seconds behind, and Buemi completed the podium in third. Vergne finished fifth, which was enough to clinch the Drivers' Championship because Bird could not catch his total with a race to go.
The race began at 15:33 Eastern Daylight Time, in dry and clear conditions. Evans moved only a few metres because of a broken driveshaft, and Buemi kept the lead into the first corner with Prost and Abt behind him. Abt passed Buemi for the lead on lap 6, and di Grassi overtook Buemi for second on the 20th lap.
The mandatory pit stops for drivers to change into a second car began at the end of lap 22. Di Grassi passed his teammate Abt for the lead on lap 24, after Abt made a driver error, and both Audi drivers were given the instruction Code 100. That was seen as a possible team order to hold position, and it created a dispute inside the team.
Lynn crashed into the wall on lap 35, which brought out a full-course yellow and then the safety car. The race was restarted with two minutes to go, and di Grassi held on to take his second win in a row. Abt set the fastest lap of the race at 1 minute and 15.082 seconds, which earned him a point.
How did race two turn into Vergne's day?
Vergne won race two from third on the grid, with di Grassi second and Abt third. Later in the race di Grassi pressed hard for the lead, but Vergne used his FanBoost to defend, then conserved energy by slowing, which kept his rival behind him to the flag. The race began at 15:03 local time, after a lightning storm forced organisers to evacuate the track. The storm passed within an hour, and the race started on schedule.
Buemi made a slow start and turned left to block Lotterer, which let Vergne go to the inside and out-brake him for the lead before the first corner. The Techeetah pair were investigated for a possible jump start. Lotterer was then sent to serve a stop-and-go, while Vergne escaped any penalty.
A full-course yellow was called on the eighth lap, when Jose Maria Lopez broke his right-rear suspension on the turn two kerb. Lotterer took his stop-and-go penalty once the yellow was lifted. Abt set the race's fastest lap at 1 minute and 15.552 seconds on lap 15, and he earned another point, which mattered in a tight championship.
Felix da Costa received a ten-second stop-and-go penalty and three e-licence penalty points after the collision with Filippi on lap 18. The mandatory pit stops began at the end of lap 22, and Abt was among the drivers who came in at the wrong moment, which cost him ground at the front.
Buemi used his FanBoost on the 26th lap to overtake Abt for third, but Vergne held the lead. Di Grassi pressed hard but could not find a way past, and Vergne took his fourth victory of the season, the fifth of his career. Di Grassi and Abt finished second and third, which gave Audi the teams' title.
| Race | Winner | Second | Third | Pole | Fastest lap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race one, 14 July | Lucas di Grassi, Audi | Daniel Abt, Audi | Sebastien Buemi, e.Dams-Renault | Sebastien Buemi | Daniel Abt, 1 minute and 15.082 seconds |
| Race two, 15 July | Jean-Eric Vergne, Techeetah | Lucas di Grassi, Audi | Daniel Abt, Audi | Sebastien Buemi | Daniel Abt, 1 minute and 15.552 seconds |
What did the weekend mean for the title?
Vergne's final margin was 54 points over di Grassi, and the second place of Audi's driver lifted him above Bird in the standings. Buemi finished fourth on 120 points, and Abt was fifth. Virgin were third on 160 points, and Mahindra fourth. The result also meant Audi had won the teams' title by two points over Techeetah.
After the race, Vergne paid tribute to his friend Jules Bianchi, to whom he dedicated the championship. Bianchi had died nine months after the injuries he suffered at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Vergne said he was happy with the title but could not celebrate until race two was over.
Bird congratulated Vergne, but he bemoaned his team's lack of energy efficiency on a longer circuit. He said the team was still very proud of what it had achieved, and that everyone had done an amazing job to reach that position.
Di Grassi congratulated Vergne on the title, and he said Audi's team crown was a reward for a season of commitment and hard work at the track.
Techeetah had led the teams' table for most of the season. The loss was painful, and Lotterer admitted that he had been at fault for the jump start. He said he felt gutted for the squad, which had worked so hard all season. Mark Preston, the Techeetah team principal, said the season had built a team able to take on the best manufacturers.
How did the penalties and team orders shape the weekend?
Vergne and Lotterer were fined 5,000 euros and given two penalty points on their e-licences after scrutineers found both drivers wearing non-compliant underwear during the second qualifying session. The penalty was a notable part of the weekend, though it did not change the result on track.
The Code 100 instruction in race one caused a row. Abt said team orders were not respected, and he wanted Audi to hold internal discussions about the practice. Di Grassi said he had received no team order until the first third of the second stint, when the team needed to save energy. Audi team principal Allan McNish said no instruction had been given, and he confirmed that the drivers would be allowed to race within reason.
Race results at a glance
The results were close at the front, and the margins were small enough that a single lap could change the outcome. Di Grassi and Vergne won one race each, and Abt was on the podium twice, which made him a key figure in the weekend's scoring. Audi's tally of points across both races was enough to outscore Techeetah for the teams' title, by only two points.
