Beijing ePrix Ratings: Renault e.Dams

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Over the course of the season, ERN senior editor Laurence Thorn will be rating the performances of all drivers and teams on each ePrix weekend.

This time around, he takes a look at Renault e.Dams and their two drivers, Sébastien Buemi and Nicolas Prost, in Beijing.

[/vc_column_text][cq_vc_tabs contentcolor1=”#1a1a1a” contentbg1=”#ffffff” tabstitle=”Renault e.Dams – 9/10,Sébastien Buemi – 9.5/10,Nicolas Prost – 7/10″ tabsicon=”” titlecolor=”#5da73c” titlebg=”#ffffff” titlehovercolor=”#ffffff” titlehoverbg=”#5da73c” rotatetabs=”0″][tabitem]

Renault e.Dams – 9/10
Renault powertrain proves to be class of the field in Beijing

Pre-season testing suggested that the Renault powertrain in this season’s eDams car would be among the quickest in the field – and Beijing only served to prove that it is THE quickest. Sébastien Buemi and Nicolas Prost topped one practice session each on Saturday before a front row lockout in the Super Pole qualifying session. The race would go perfectly for Buemi, with a dominant win from pole as the Swiss driver became the first driver in Formula E history to score 30 points on one race day for pole position, win and fastest lap. Prost, meanwhile, had lost out to Nick Heidfeld and Lucas di Grassi in the early stages, but after passing Heidfeld and closing in on di Grassi, was forced to retire after receiving a black and orange flag for a damaged rear wing. Despite this damage, Prost was still able to put in strong lap times and keep pace with di Grassi until his forced retirement – an ominous sign for the rest of the field.

[/tabitem]
[tabitem]

Sébastien Buemi (qualified 1st, finished 1st) – 9.5/10
Perfect weekend for Buemi to kick-start season

Pole position. Win. Fastest lap. The first weekend of the second Formula E season could not have gone better for Sébastien Buemi, as he banished the memories of London last season with a dominant victory in the Chinese capital. After losing out on the championship to Nelson Piquet by one solitary point this season, Buemi will have high hopes of going one better this year – and while the reigning WEC champion was already considered to be one of the title favourites prior to this season, those predictions look even more likely after the pace shown by Buemi in China. While the Renault powertrain is clearly the best in the field so far, Buemi was able to both qualify ahead of team-mate Prost, and out-race the Frenchman on his way to victory. Buemi has therefore not only laid down a marker in the championship, but also in the inter-team battle. He survived two Full Course Yellow periods, and the pit stop phase, on his way to an untroubled victory – so much so that he was rarely seen on the TV coverage of the race. Perhaps the only complaint Buemi can have about his weekend.

[/tabitem]
[tabitem]

Nicolas Prost (qualified 2nd, DNF) – 7/10
Strong pace before rear wing failure leads to retirement

As was often the case in season 1 for Prost, he showed impressive pace in Beijing – but was out-done by team-mate Buemi, with a race that ended in disappointment. Qualifying second on the grid, 0.2 seconds off Buemi, Prost did not make a good start to the race and was passed into the first turn by Nick Heidfeld. He was also passed by Lucas di Grassi on the next lap after a lock-up, slipping down to fourth while Buemi was making headway at the front. Prost was then frustrated in his efforts to pass di Grassi ahead, entering the pits in P4. He kept this position after the stops, coming out behind Heidfeld under Full Course Yellow. Prost then made perhaps the overtaking move of the race – an opportunistic dive down the inside of Heidfeld as the track returned to green – before chasing down di Grassi. His rear wing worked itself loose at this point though, causing the stewards to show him a black and orange flag. Despite his strong pace – he was actually quicker than di Grassi at this point – Prost was forced to retire from third.

[/tabitem]
[/cq_vc_tabs][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Images courtesy of FIA Formula E Media

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]