MONACO – Stoffel Vandoorne mastered the streets of Monte Carlo with a tactical drive to win the 2022 Monaco E-Prix Round 6 for Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team and take the ABB FIA Formula E Drivers’ World Championship lead.
The Belgian beat polesitter Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) to the top step, while DS TECHEETAH’s Jean-Éric Vergne came home third in front of more than 15,000 fans at the iconic home of motorsport.
“It is an amazing feeling, I mean Monaco is always a special race to win as a driver,” Vandoorne said. “Last year we had a tough time here, this year we managed to turn it around. The target was to qualify at the front and then I knew we would be in the mix, and that is exactly how the race panned out. We were flying today, massive well done to the team for giving me a strong car. It has not been an easy start to the season, but it shows the consistency we have. I am extremely happy.
“I feel like I have been fighting at the front all season already,” Vandoorne continued. “I have had a few pole positions and have not quite been able to convert them into victories. This weekend I decided not to qualify on pole and get the victory instead.”
Vandoorne emerged on the right side of a mid-race full course yellow and safety car, which threw race strategies up in the air with the Belgian besting Evans after a race-long battle with the help of some measured energy management.
Vandoorne had hit the front after then-leader Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) retired from the lead with technical issues on lap 16. Once at the head of the pack, Vandoorne seized control and made good on both restarts to take the checkered flag first with race pace and energy in-hand.
Evans couldn’t quite capitalize on the searing pace that saw him fly to pole, but 18 points and second spot after a Rome win-double sees the Jaguar driver’s hot-streak continue.
“It was a confusing race because I felt we were looking really good on the energy, obviously off the back of Rome but also approaching the race,” Evans said. “We thought we were pretty conservative, so were not expecting to use much energy, but it was the complete opposite. This is something to look into, maybe we just got things a bit wrong today – but we were quite lucky to get second, so I will take that. I really wanted to win today off the back of pole and the wins for us at the last race, but Stoffel and the other guys were really quick. So I will take these good points and move on for the next race.”
Vergne followed in third, sparring for the race distance with those ahead and fending off the late charge from Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns who came home fourth, the Dutchman extended his consistent run of form. That made it a joint-high of three podiums for Frenchman Vergne and he remains the only driver to score points in every race this season.
Antonio Felix da Costa made it two DS TECHEETAHs in the top five, with Lucas di Grassi coming home sixth for a solid haul on home soil for ROKiT Venturi Racing – though Edoardo Mortara retired late on having run much of the race alongside his teammate in the points.
Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) finished seventh, with Sebastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams), Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) and reigning champion Nyck de Vries rounding out the top 10.
All that left Vandoorne six points clear atop the drivers’ standings, and Mercedes-EQ 15 points ahead of DS TECHEETAH in the Teams’ running.