Closed Circuit: DS Virgin Racing in Paris

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DS Virgin once again showed their pace on the track with a fantastic performance all weekend. The team was under pressure to perform in Paris, DS and driver Jean-Eric Vergne’s home race, so it was fitting for the team to see their best finish of the season so far.

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The team impressed in qualifying, where both drivers topped the timing screens in the group stages. Sam Bird finished ahead of Vergne, giving them both a shot in the SuperPole shoot out. In the SuperPole session, Bird managed to keep his pole position, but Vergne was squeezed off the front row by ABT’s Lucas Di Grassi.
At the start of the race, Di Grassi caused more upset for the team when he managed to get past Bird off the starting line. Vergne followed past the Brazilian, starting a battle between the two DS Virgin drivers in front of the home crowd.
In the second stint, Bird found himself under pressure from a fast moving Buemi. A mistake six laps before the end set him straight on at the front corner, losing Bird three places just before the end of the race.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Team mate comparison: qualifying” tab_id=”1461512175704-af49c202-f1e45043-b57259f1-69b9″][vc_line_chart type=”line” style=”modern” x_values=”Beijing; Putrajaya; Punta del Este; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Long Beach; Paris” values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Sam%20Bird%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%229%3B14%3B3%3B1%3B11%3B2%3B1%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Jean-%C3%89ric%20Vergne%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%225%3B13%3B17%3B15%3B6%3B11%3B3%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%23f7be68%22%7D%5D” title=”Team mate comparison: qualifying”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Team mate comparison: race” tab_id=”1461512175763-831c2584-42cf5043-b57259f1-69b9″][vc_line_chart type=”line” style=”modern” x_values=”Beijing; Putrajaya; Punta del Este; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Long Beach; Paris” values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Sam%20Bird%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%227%3B2%3B17%3B1%3B6%3B6%3B6%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Jean-%C3%89ric%20Vergne%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2212%3B18%3B7%3B11%3B16%3B13%3B2%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%23f7be68%22%7D%5D” title=”Team mate comparison: race”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The team says: “…“” tab_id=”1461512258191-0360a250-a68c5043-b57259f1-69b9″][vc_column_text]

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Team Principal Alex Tai: “DS have brought a level of engineering excellence to our team and we are pleased to have had both drivers compete for podium positions for the majority of the race. Whilst I’m a little disappointed with the end result given where we qualified, I’m pleased for JEV and for DS that we have come away from Paris with this sort of result. It gives us all a lot of confidence going into the German round of the Championship.” [/pullquote]

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Championship standings” tab_id=”1461512214611-352b21f1-c5375043-b57259f1-69b9″][vc_line_chart type=”line” x_values=”Beijing; Putrajaya; Punta del Este; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Long Beach; Paris” values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22DS%20Virgin%20Racing%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%226%3B24%3B30%3B58%3B66%3B77%3B106%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%7D%5D” title=”Championship standings”][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title=”Sam Bird” color=”green”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion style=”outline” color=”green” c_icon=”chevron” active_section=”1″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”Sam Bird’s race in words” tab_id=”1461512310664-cbeb96df-4af05043-b57259f1-69b9″][vc_column_text]

Bird started off the day impressing the home crowds with a fourth pace in the first practice session of the day and a third in the second before the qualifying session.
Bird took to the track in the small fourth qualifying group, taking the provisional pole during the group stages, earning himself a spot in the SuperPole shoot out. The Brit kept the position, earning himself a start from the front of the grid.
A wheel spin put all Bird’s hard work to waste though, when Di Grassi and Vergne passed him on the starting line and he dropped to third. He kept close behind Vergne, fighting through the first stint for the second place.
After the pit stop, championship rival Sebastien Buemi was in Bird’s mirrors, but the Brit held him back. Only six laps before the end, Bird broke too late at the first corner, allowing Buemi, Prost, and Sarrazin get past.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Lap chart” tab_id=”1461512310716-c8bf2e2d-dbb95043-b57259f1-69b9″][vc_line_chart type=”line” x_values=”Starting position; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41; 42; 43;44; 45″ values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Sam%20Bird%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%221%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B6%3B4%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B3%3B6%3B6%3B6%3B6%3B6%3B6%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%5D” title=”Sam Bird: lap chart”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The race in numbers” tab_id=”1461512375203-dc62694e-d0395043-b57259f1-69b9″][vc_column_text]

Best time in FP1: 1:03.099 (P4)

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Best time in FP2: 1:01.587 (P3)

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Best time in qualifying: 1:01.514 (P1 in Group session)

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Best time in the race: 1:03.040 (Lap 27)

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Pit stop time and difference to minimum pit stop time: 1:08.053 (2.053 above minimum time)

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[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“I’m pleased for JEV, he really deserved this. I was challenging him for that second place because this is motor racing and that’s what we do but overall I’m pleased for the team. Once again we’ve proved we’re contenders and with both our performances today I feel confident ahead of Berlin.”[/pullquote]

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After a disappointing season so far, Jean-Eric Vergne was looking to impress at his home race. An eleventh in the first practice session suggested the Frenchman would be continuing his anonymous season. The second practice session was much more impressive, finishing the shorter session in second place, only a hundredth of a second behind Mike Conway in first.
Vergne matched the position in the group stages of the qualifying session, just over two tenths of a second behind his team mate. In the SuperPole session, the French man was squeezed out of the spot by Lucas Di Grassi and had to start the Paris ePrix behind Bird.
After a mistake from Bird, Vergne managed to put himself back into second place, keeping Bird behind him on the narrow track. The two drivers pitted together, with Bird trying to squeeze past the Frenchman as they left the pits. Vergne kept the place, finishing on the podium for the first time this season.
Vergne said after the race that he’d changed his mind set since Long Beach.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Lap chart” tab_id=”1461512548457-fc72c98b-1a615043-b57259f1-69b9″][vc_line_chart type=”line” x_values=”Starting position; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41; 42; 43;44; 45″ values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Jean-%C3%89ric%20Vergne%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%223%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B5%3B3%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%3B2%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%7D%5D” title=”Jean-Éric Vergne: lap chart”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The race in numbers” tab_id=”1461512549057-0abe4d02-33bc5043-b57259f1-69b9″][vc_column_text]

Best time in FP1: 1:03.640 (P11)

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Best time in FP2: 1:01.396 (P2)

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Best time in qualifying: 1:01.770 (P2 in Group session)

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Best time in the race: 1:02.939 (Lap 30)

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Pit stop time and difference to minimum pit stop time: 1:08.250 (2.250 above maximum time)

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[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”This is just a fantastic result for the team and for DS at their home race. I’ve had a complicated season and the team have been patient with me and I wanted to give something back today and that’s exactly what I’ve done. Looking ahead I want to push for more podiums and more wins, the team deserved this and the atmosphere here in Paris has made the day even better. Standing on that podium was a very important moment for me.”[/pullquote]

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Bethonie Waring | e-racing.net

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Images courtesy of Rajan Jangda

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