In a thrilling São Paulo E-Prix, Sam Bird secured NEOM McLaren’s inaugural victory in the FIA Formula E championship with a remarkable last-minute overtake. Starting from fifth position, Bird utilized his experience and strategic use of Attack Mode to snatch the win from his former teammate Mitch Evans in the Jaguar. Oliver Rowland also impressed with a stunning final lap, soaring from fifth to third after starting in 11th place, securing Nissan’s second consecutive podium finish. Pole-sitter Pascal Wehrlein settled for fourth, while Jake Dennis delivered an impressive performance to claim fifth place from a starting position of 10th.
The DS Penske duo of Jean-Éric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne couldn’t maintain their qualifying pace and finished in seventh and eighth place respectively. Max Guenther capitalized on two Safety Car periods to overcome grid and time penalties, finishing in an impressive ninth place. Sebastien Buemi showcased brilliant driving skills, recovering from a disappointing 18th place start to finish in 10th. Unfortunately, race leader Nick Cassidy crashed out midway through the race.
The race began with a clean start, with Evans overtaking Vergne and Wehrlein maintaining his lead. Antonio Felix da Costa in the sister Porsche made early progress, climbing from eighth on the grid to take the lead on lap three. Wehrlein and Vandoorne opted for Attack Mode, causing Vandoorne to drop to sixth place. Bird also made early progress, overtaking Wehrlein at the start of lap four to secure second place. Both Bird and da Costa traded the lead after activating Attack Mode, but the race was interrupted by a Safety Car period when Norman Nato’s Andretti lost its front wing after colliding with Lucas de Grassi’s Cupra. Guenther, who started from the back due to a grid penalty, served his accompanying time penalty during this period.
Racing resumed on lap nine, with da Costa and Wehrlein leading the pack. However, both drivers opted for Attack Mode, allowing Bird to reclaim the lead. Evans later overtook Bird at the second chicane. Dennis steadily made progress, joining the leading group at the halfway point, while Rowland climbed to seventh place. Guenther showcased exceptional precision as he weaved through the field, reaching the top ten in no time. The predicted peloton-style race became a reality, with much of the field racing in close proximity.
Unfortunately, title-leader Nick Cassidy’s race came to an end on lap 16 when his Jaguar’s front wing became lodged under the front tires, resulting in a collision with the barriers. Another Safety Car period followed, lasting four laps. When racing resumed, there was a period of close racing, but Evans and Bird engaged in a fierce battle for the lead, with Evans ultimately taking the lead on lap 28. With the Safety Car appearances extending the race by three additional laps, the outcome was still uncertain.
Evans initially seemed to be falling into the clutches of Wehrlein, who appeared to have more energy, but Wehrlein’s challenge faded, and he also had to defend against Dennis. Rowland climbed to fifth place and joined the battle for the final podium spot, while Evans and Bird pulled away from the pack. Despite McLaren engineers advising Bird to cool the right side of his car, it seemed that his chances of victory were slim. However, on the final lap, Bird applied pressure to Evans, executing a daring overtake around the outside of turn 10 to seize the lead. He held on through the final corner to claim his first win since 2021, adding another triumph to McLaren’s illustrious racing history.
In the midst of the thrilling race, Rowland managed two overtakes on the final lap, surpassing both Dennis and Wehrlein to secure his second consecutive third-place finish. Despite his retirement from the race, Cassidy retains his position at the top of the Drivers’ Championship, with Wehrlein trailing by only four points in second place. Evans’ first podium of the season propels him to third place with 39 points, tied with Vergne. Dennis is just one point behind in fifth place, while Bird’s victory elevates him to sixth with 37 points. In the Teams’ Championship, Jaguar’s strong start and perfect podium record place them at the top with 96 points, followed by Porsche in second place, 35 points behind. McLaren currently sits in fifth place with 55 points, with Penske in third place with 57 points.