FORMULA FIA BIRD HOLDS OFF WEHRLEIN TO WIN SANTIAGO SCORCHER ALL ELECTRIC

We hear this story a lot at Formula FIA. So Bird swoops to on Formula E victory. That’s with peerless performance around Parque O’Higgins
– Buemi bashes into the barriers and retires from lead in battle with Bird

2019 ANTOFAGASTA MINERALS SANTIAGO E-PRIX (RD 3)

RACE RE-CAP

Sam Bird handled the heat under pressure from Pascal Wehrlein. Cause Bird came winning his first race of the season. All in the sweltering Santiago sunshine.

With Wehrlein hot on his heels in the closing stages of the warmest Formula E race on record Bird held his nerve with a peerless performance around the perimeter roads of Parque O’Higgins. That’s in the centre of the Chilean capital.

Bird had to keep a close eye on his mirrors. Cause he had both drivers on alternative ATTACK MODE strategies. Without any activations left, Sam Bird found himself vulnerable from behind. As well as Wehrlein saved his final burst of energy. Doing that gave him that bid to vault ahead with only minutes to spare.

Despite his best efforts and clawing Sam Bird in, Wehrlein couldn’t make a move. Therefore he had to settle for second. That’s as his hopes of victory faded with rising temperatures.

Fellow countryman Daniel Abt rounded out the podium places, inheriting a position from Alexander Sims after the BMW i Andretti Motorsport driver incurred a penalty for causing a collision with Edoardo Mortara.

Contact with Sims sent Mortara spinning. Although the VENTURI Formula E Team driver valiantly fought back to finish fourth.

Buemi wasn’t so lucky to avoid the barriers. Cause he came crashing out of the lead in close quarters with Bird at the Turn 6/7 chicane. All the same corner he encountered trouble with in practice earlier in the day.

The 2015/16 champion led away from the front. So he was promoted to Julius Baer pole position following the exclusion of Lucas di Grassi for an infringement in qualifying. However, Buemi couldn’t convert a first win for the newly-named Nissan e.dams outfit.

Winner in Marrakesh and championship leader coming into the race, Jerome D’Ambrosio came home in eighth. Although he later dropped to 10th. That’s after being handed a five-second penalty for speeding under Full Course Yellow.

The result means D’Ambrosio relinquishes his place to Bird at the top of the driver standings. Which is with title protagonists Antonio Felix da Costa and Jean-Eric Vergne failing to add to their points tally.

So after another searing showdown in Santiago, Formula E now heads to Mexico City. In conclusion and the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for round four of the 2018/19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship on February 16.

For more analysis and to read the full race report, visit www.FIAFormulaE.com