British ace continues to ascertain himself as an everyday 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 System E World Championship triumph in his sixtieth look within the all-electric single-seater sequence at the moment (21 June), because the CUPRA KIRO star stored 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 System E) main a fast-starting Nyck de Vries (Mahindra Racing), who had leapfrogged NEOM McLaren System E Group’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 automotive.
His transfer may need earned de Vries the lead, nevertheless it additionally earned him a ten-second penalty – which might subsequently develop into educational when he pulled off the monitor and into retirement, with comparable 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 stored their noses clear via 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 System 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 virtually 4 years, and the primary for CUPRA KIRO because the championship’s inaugural marketing campaign, when operating below the NEXTEV TCR System E Group banner.
Whereas disillusioned 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 basically 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 System E Group star’s factors haul making him the best gainer within the title battle.
Shanghai winner Cassidy wound up fifth following one other sturdy efficiency, though the New Zealander misplaced a lot of his first Assault Mode benefit because of the timing of the mid-race security automotive.
Barnard led residence McLaren team-mate Sam Fowl in sixth and seventh respectively, adopted by Buemi and his personal Envision stablemate Robin Frijns, whereas championship chief Oliver Rowland (Nissan System E Group) snuck the ultimate level on provide 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 believe that’s the most joyous a part of all this – clearly I’m thrilled that I’ve gained a race. I have been in System E almost 4 years now, however the entire time I’ve identified that is what I can do. Now I’ve received a superb automotive and I’m doing it. I’m very very comfortable, I believe lots of people forgot I was fairly helpful on the F1 ladder again within the day, and now I’m simply going to start out proving it once more. The blokes are fairly outstanding that in six, seven months the speed of enchancment we’ve had over this season. We began in fairly a not great spot and I used to be a bit 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 happy with them. I’ve been with them since day one right here and to ship that could be very particular for them and a superb feeling for me.”
Edoardo Mortara, No. 48, Mahindra Racing mentioned:
“I’m feeling sort of disillusioned for the staff as a result of I believe that extra was doable for us, however really comfortable 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 might have modified it. However nonetheless, tremendous proud of at the moment’s race, I believe we managed the technique fairly good, particularly with the primary ATTACK MODE, we received a bit bit unfortunate with the Security Automobile and Full Course Yellow as a result of I believe I might 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. However, tremendous proud of second place and already trying ahead to the following one.”
Nico Mueller, No. 51, Andretti System 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 now I really feel like I had a automotive to enter the [qualifying] duels, a slight mistake in these very dusty situations, I paid a giant value for that. However then within the race, managed to maneuver up already at first and made our means into the highest eight. Then we have been a bit fortunate with the technique but in addition I believe superb with the execution, so at any time when we had the chance to maneuver ahead we took it, and had good tempo on the finish. Very proud of how that one went, clearly tremendous happy for the entire staff and my crew to get a podium, they actually deserve it and I hope we will preserve that momentum going into the final 4 races.”
