Putrajaya ePrix Ratings: DS Virgin Racing

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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 DS Virgin Racing and their two drivers, Sam Bird and Jean-Éric Vergne, in Putrajaya.

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DS Virgin Racing – 7.5/10
Poor qualifying but Bird salvages race day with a podium

After a disappointing outing in Beijing, DS Virgin Racing arrived in Putrajaya hoping to recreate the race at the same circuit twelve months ago, in which Sam Bird had won convincingly. Qualifying this time around was a big struggle though, with neither Bird nor Jean-Eric Vergne putting their silver and purple cars inside the top ten. This would prove costly for Vergne, who was involved in a first lap collision and forced to retire. Bird put in a storming race, meanwhile, moving up from 14th on the grid to take second place at the end, despite a slightly slow pit stop. The DSV-01 also showed better efficiency that in Beijing, as Sam Bird was able to pit on lap 18, as opposed to the majority of the field who had stopped one lap earlier. The team also did a top job to repair an issue that occurred on the rear of Bird’s car an hour before the start.

Average Rating (2 races): 7

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Sam Bird (qualified 14th, finished 2nd) – 8/10
Surprising podium after qualifying disappointment

From race winner in Malaysia twelve months ago, to 14th on the grid this year, Sam Bird’s Putrajaya race day did not get off to the best start. But the race went a whole lot better for the British driver, who already moved up to tenth on the first lap and, despite running his battery all the way down to 1% usable energy, was able to make his car swap successfully on lap 18, one of the latest to stop. In the second stint he was not only able to pass Nick Heidfeld, who had almost hit the wall and made a miraculous save, but could also take advantage of issues suffered by the likes of da Costa, Duval and d’Ambrosio. In addition to this, he made a brave move on Robin Frijns who had just hit the wall and damaged his suspension, to finish in second place and take 18 huge points for both himself and his team. An impressive drive from the Brit.

Average Rating (2 races): 7.75

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Jean-Éric Vergne (qualified 13th, DNF) – 5.5/10
First corner collision ends race after midfield start

Often known as one of Formula E’s best qualifiers, Jean- Éric Vergne was unable to show this in Putrajaya as he could only manage to put his DS Virgin car P13 on the grid. This was one place ahead of team-mate Bird, however at the start Vergne was caught up in a three way collision with Jacques Villeneuve and Nick Heidfeld. Sandwiched between the Venturi and Mahindra cars, Vergne’s DSV-01 suffered front suspension damage at the first chicane on the opening lap and he was forced to retire on the spot. That makes it two races in succession without points for Vergne, who many had down as a top title contender this season. The campaign is still young, but Vergne will hope for a better race in Punta del Este next time – twelve months ago, that was the very circuit in which the ex-Toro Rosso F1 driver made his stunning Formula E debut, taking pole position for his very first ePrix.

Average Rating (2 races): 5.75

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Images courtesy of FIA Formula E Media

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