Da Costa Dominates Round 12 in Shanghai, Secures Second Win of Season 10
Antonio Felix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche) secured his second win of Season 10 at the Shanghai E-Prix Round 12, leading NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes and Andretti’s Norman Nato to the podium.
Da Costa demonstrated superior energy management and performance throughout the race, making the decisive move for the lead on Lap 16 against Nato. From that point, Da Costa maintained his lead effortlessly over the 28-lap race, holding off Hughes’ late charge.
Jake Hughes, who secured Julius Baer Pole Position by a mere 0.001 seconds in qualifying, aimed for more than a maiden podium in the first half of the race. Despite intense battles with standings leader Nick Cassidy (Jaguar TCS Racing), Hughes had to focus on securing his debut podium finish.
Nato, who led early in the race, finished third for Andretti. Cassidy had to settle for fourth after late-race contact dislodged his front wing. Despite this setback, Cassidy’s result was significant, especially considering the difficulties faced by his closest title rival Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche), who was forced into a costly pit stop to replace a punctured tyre, leaving him without points.
Jaguar TCS Racing managed their race strategy well, with Mitch Evans following Cassidy across the line in fifth, contributing valuable points for the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ championships. Both Jaguar drivers finished with energy in hand, hinting at what might have been a better result.
The DS PENSKE duo of Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Eric Vergne finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing), Robin Frijns (Envision Racing), and Oliver Rowland (Nissan) completed the top ten. Reigning champion Jake Dennis (Andretti) finished 11th, failing to score points.
Round 12’s result leaves Cassidy with a 25-point lead over Wehrlein in the Drivers’ standings. Jaguar TCS Racing now has 299 points in the Teams’ standings, trailing TAG Heuer Porsche’s 228. However, Porsche remains ahead in the Manufacturers’ championship with 337 points to Jaguar’s 328.
The championship heads to Portland next for a double-header on 29 and 30 June, marking the beginning of the decisive final four rounds of the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
