British ace continues to determine himself as a daily front-runner as he retains his head whereas rivals collide in dramatic Indonesian encounter.
Dan Ticktum produced a faultless show to safe his maiden ABB FIA Components E World Championship triumph in his sixtieth look within the all-electric single-seater collection at this time (21 June), because the CUPRA KIRO star saved his cool in a red-hot Jakarta E-Prix.
The opening half of the race within the Indonesian capital was comparatively calm, with pole-sitter Jake Dennis (Andretti Components E) main a fast-starting Nyck de Vries (Mahindra Racing), who had leapfrogged NEOM McLaren Components E Workforce’s Taylor Barnard for second when the lights went out. Ticktum, too, was an early mover, displacing Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy from fourth.
For a lot of laps, that was how the order would stay, till the primary spherical of Assault Modes noticed Barnard lose locations after clipping the barrier upon rejoining, whereas Mahindra’s Edoardo Mortara conversely gained floor because the Swiss star – who started the E-Prix in sixth – infiltrated the lead battle.
That battle got here to a head on lap 22, as Dennis and de Vries went wheel-to-wheel on the beginning/end straight, with the latter nonetheless in Assault Mode having taken two minutes’ greater than his British rival through the preliminary deployment part.
The Season 9 champion rebuffed the Season 7 title-winner’s first try and seize the initiative, and when de Vries tried once more a lap later, there was contact, leaving particles from Dennis’ broken entrance wing littered throughout the circuit and bringing out the security automobile.
His transfer might need earned de Vries the lead, but it surely additionally earned him a ten-second penalty – which might subsequently turn into educational when he pulled off the observe and into retirement, with related misfortune befalling Dennis.
With the race’s two pace-setters out of the equation, and Barnard having dropped down the sector, the door was opened for Ticktum and Mortara to duel it out for glory. Each drivers saved their noses clear by means of a few late Full Course Yellow interruptions – though the second of them value the Mahindra driver a portion of his remaining Assault Mode activation.
Thereafter, Ticktum – who solely reached the Components E rostrum for the primary time in Tokyo final month, and had led simply six laps this season previous to arriving in Indonesia – maturely fended off the stress utilized by Mortara to take the chequered flag in entrance. The British star’s success marked his first in any class in nearly 4 years, and the primary for CUPRA KIRO for the reason that championship’s inaugural marketing campaign, when working beneath the NEXTEV TCR Components E Workforce banner.
Whereas dissatisfied to not win after each of its drivers had vied for victory, the runner-up spoils for Mahindra nonetheless represented the Indian outfit’s second high three end of Season 11, with Nico Müller finishing the podium-finishers in third from down in thirteenth on the grid – the Swiss ace’s maiden rostrum go to for Andretti and first normally since 2021.
Envision Racing’s Sébastien Buemi crossed the end line forward of his countryman, however a five-second penalty for inflicting a collision demoted the 2015/16 champion to eighth total. That elevated António Félix da Costa to fourth, with the TAG Heuer Porsche Components E Workforce star’s factors haul making him the best gainer within the title battle.
Shanghai winner Cassidy wound up fifth following one other robust efficiency, though the New Zealander misplaced a lot of his first Assault Mode benefit as a result of timing of the mid-race security automobile.
Barnard led residence McLaren team-mate Sam Hen in sixth and seventh respectively, adopted by Buemi and his personal Envision stablemate Robin Frijns, whereas championship chief Oliver Rowland (Nissan Components E Workforce) snuck the ultimate level on supply in tenth, one spot forward of nearest rival Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche). The pair made contact alongside the best way, with the Briton incurring a five-second penalty for a separate collision.
The marketing campaign continues with a double-header on the streets of Berlin, Germany on 12-13 July.
Dan Ticktum, No. 33, CUPRA KIRO mentioned:
“I feel that’s the most joyous a part of all this – clearly I’m thrilled that I’ve gained a race. I have been in Components E almost 4 years now, however the entire time I’ve identified that is what I can do. Now I’ve bought automobile and I’m doing it. I’m very very completely happy, I feel lots of people forgot I was fairly useful on the F1 ladder again within the day, and now I’m simply going to start out proving it once more. The fellows are fairly exceptional that in six, seven months the speed of enchancment we’ve had over this season. We began in fairly a not excellent place and I used to be somewhat bit underwhelmed at the start of the season and we chipped away. Since Miami it’s been fairly a steep upwards trajectory so I’m very very pleased with them. I’ve been with them since day one right here and to ship that could be very particular for them and feeling for me.”
Edoardo Mortara, No. 48, Mahindra Racing mentioned:
“I’m feeling form of dissatisfied for the workforce as a result of I feel that extra was doable for us, however truly completely happy for me. It’s been a very long time coming, this podium, and if I look again there have been a number of events the place, with a bit extra luck, we may have modified it. However however, tremendous pleased with at this time’s race, I feel we managed the technique fairly good, particularly with the primary ATTACK MODE, we bought somewhat bit unfortunate with the Security Automobile and Full Course Yellow as a result of I feel I may have made good use of my ATTACK MODE and handed Dan [Ticktum]. I used to be in entrance of him earlier than the second ATTACK MODE. Nonetheless, tremendous pleased with second place and already trying ahead to the subsequent one.”
Nico Mueller, No. 51, Andretti Components E mentioned:
“Excellent! We all the time had the race tempo all season lengthy. Qualifying has all the time been our achilles heel if you wish to name it that. Right this moment I really feel like I had a automobile to enter the [qualifying] duels, a slight mistake in these very dusty circumstances, I paid a giant worth for that. However then within the race, managed to maneuver up already to start with and made our means into the highest eight. Then we had been a bit fortunate with the technique but in addition I feel excellent with the execution, so every time we had the chance to maneuver ahead we took it, and had good tempo on the finish. Very pleased with how that one went, clearly tremendous happy for the entire workforce and my crew to get a podium, they actually deserve it and I hope we will maintain that momentum going into the final 4 races.”
