Oliver Rowland made probably the most of a late race restart to win the Mexico E-Prix over Antonio Felix da Costa.
A security automobile bunched up the sphere — introduced out for the stricken David Beckmann at Flip 12 on lap 29 after he made contact with Lucas di Grassi. Nissan’s Rowland was then on the again of fourth-place Jake Dennis regardless of being over 2s behind earlier than the race was neutralized.
Holding a helpful Assault Mode benefit on the following restart, he was capable of get by Dennis into Flip 1, Pascal Wehrlein a nook later, then da Costa in Flip 12 after dueling with the TAG Heuer Porsche driver all through the stadium part.
All that work in a single lap proved important, as one other security automobile was deployed, this time for Mitch Evans.
Evans restarted after Beckmann’s yellow in eighth with 4 minutes of his Assault Mode remaining, leaving him in a chief place to as soon as once more make massive strikes within the last levels of the race as he did in Sao Paulo, however he hit Mueller as the sphere concertinaed in Turns 10 and 11, breaking his steering similarly to Beckmann.
With a few of Rowland’s four-wheel-drive and additional energy remaining, he dropped the hammer earlier than the ultimate nook because the race resumed on lap 33 and was capable of get away to have a automobile size’s lead into the primary nook.
Da Costa saved Rowland trustworthy within the last 4 laps, closing proper as much as his tail within the second half of the ultimate lap, however was not capable of get by the Brit who not solely gained, however recorded his first podium end from six begins in Mexico Metropolis.
Wehrlein, who led the opening 15 laps from pole as the 2 Porsches ran in formation on the entrance, got here dwelling third, forward of Dennis, who took the lead from him on lap 16 due to an early Assault Mode use, however couldn’t maintain off da Costa who breezed by three laps later, consolidating that lead after an in depth battle after Dennis briefly obtained again forward because the Portuguese driver dipped into the Assault Mode activation zone on lap 22.
Fifth went the best way of Jean-Eric Vergne, the Frenchman dropping again from third on the grid because the Stellantis-powered automobiles struggled to match the Porsches in race trim.
DS Penske teammate Maximilian Guenther adopted him dwelling in sixth forward of Nyck de Vries and Nico Mueller, who charged from thirteenth on the grid to provide the Porsche-powered Andretti crew a double factors end after going scoreless on the season opener in Sao Paulo in December.
NEOM McLaren’s Taylor Barnard accomplished the highest 10 regardless of ranging from nineteenth on the grid. He carved his manner by way of the sphere, and like in Brazil, was capable of profit from Assault Mode and power benefits within the punctuated latter levels to maneuver into the factors. He saved the ultimate factors place regardless of being handed a 5s time penalty for gaining a long-lasting benefit at Flip 16.
Regardless of the 2 security automobile durations, there have been no laps added to the 36-lap race, a complete security automobile interval of over 3m10s wanted to increase the race distance.
That proved pricey to Edoardo Mortara and Sebastien Buemi who left their last Assault Mode makes use of late and had been subsequently unable to make use of them totally. It meant they had been each handed 10s time penalties which left them thirteenth and seventeenth, respectively. Di Grassi didn’t have time to activate his second Assault Mode in any respect, getting a drive by way of penalty transformed to a 27s penalty to his total race time, dropping him to sixteenth within the last order.
Da Costa’s second straight second place means he leaves Mexico Metropolis with the championship lead, 12 factors forward of race winner Rowland, whereas Evans stays in third, equal on factors with Rowland. Wehrlein’s brace of pole positions and third place this weekend places him fourth, with Barnard fifth on the heels of two factors finishes from the 2 races to date.
After a non-score in Sao Paulo, Dennis’ fourth place vaults him as much as sixth within the factors, 5 again from Barnard and equal to Sam Chook within the second McLaren, who failed to attain this day trip.
TAG Heuer Porsche overtakes NEOM McLaren within the Groups’ championship, holding double the quantity of factors because the British outfit, with reigning groups champions Jaguar TCS Racing third.
