Sam Bird secured McLaren its inaugural victory in Formula E by executing a remarkable last-gasp maneuver on his former teammate Mitch Evans during the 2024 Sao Paulo E-Prix. This marks Bird’s third weekend competing for McLaren, following a challenging stint alongside Evans at Jaguar. Bird triumphantly returned to the top step of the Formula E podium, a feat he last achieved at the second New York E-Prix in July 2021. Starting from fifth on the grid, Bird swiftly ascended to the front of the pack in the early stages of the race, which witnessed the anticipated peloton-style racing. However, he faced fierce competition from Evans, as well as the factory Porsches and reigning champion Jake Dennis. As the race neared its conclusion, it became a head-to-head battle between Evans and Bird, with the addition of three extra laps due to multiple safety car periods. Evans managed to overtake Bird with a few laps remaining, initially suggesting that he would pull away from his rival. Nevertheless, Bird tenaciously stuck with Evans and left those behind him in his wake. On the final lap, Bird executed a daring maneuver around the outside of Evans at the long left-hander, a move that is sure to be remembered in Formula E history. This victory brings Bird’s total race wins to 12, placing him third overall and just one triumph behind fellow Formula E pioneers Sebastien Buemi and Lucas di Grassi. Evans seemed to struggle with derates, prompting him to adopt a defensive approach on the inside, leaving Bird with no choice but to attempt the overtake on the outside. Oliver Rowland also displayed last-lap brilliance, securing a podium finish for another Nissan-powered vehicle. He managed to outpace the pole-sitting factory Porsche of Pascal Wehrlein and Jake Dennis to secure the final spot on the podium. Antonio Felix da Costa regained his form and earned his first points of the season with a commendable sixth-place finish, ahead of the DS Penskes of Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne, whose race pace failed to match their qualifying performance. Despite facing a significant penalty, Maximilian Guenther made an impressive comeback and secured two points with a ninth-place finish, narrowly beating Buemi.
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