2015 Beijing ePrix

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2015 Beijing ePrix
Race 1 of 10 of the 2015–16 Formula E season
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Pekin ePrix.svg
Layout of the Beijing Olympic Green Circuit
Race details
Date24 October 2015
Official name 2015 FIA Formula E SWUSP Beijing ePrix
Location Beijing Olympic Green Circuit,
Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
Course Street circuit
Course length 3.44 km (2.14 miles)
Distance 26 laps, 89.4 km (55.67 miles)
Pole position
Driver Renault e.Dams
Time 1:37.297
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Sébastien Buemi Renault e.Dams
Time 1:39.993 (lap record) on lap 24
Podium
First Renault e.Dams
Second ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport
Third Mahindra Racing
Lap leaders
  • 2015 Beijing ePrix

The 2015 Beijing ePrix, formally the 2015 FIA Formula E SWUSP Beijing ePrix, was a Formula E motor race that was held on 24 October 2015 at the Beijing Olympic Green Circuit in Beijing, China. It was the second edition of the Beijing ePrix and the first race of the second season of the electrically powered racing car series. The race was dominated by Sébastien Buemi, who won starting from pole position. Since he also recorded the fastest lap, he became the first driver to score the maximum of 30 points from a single ePrix. [1]

Contents

Report

Background

The Beijing Olympic Green Circuit was slightly modified in comparison to the previous year. The first chicane, previously Turns 3, 4 and 5, has been removed with the second chicane taking a tighter profile than last year. Drivers believe that the modified layout offers increased chances of overtaking. [2]

Three drivers made their Formula E debut at this ePrix: Jacques Villeneuve (for Venturi), Robin Frijns (for Amlin Andretti) and Nathanaël Berthon (for Team Aguri). [3]

Trulli did not start the Beijing ePrix because of a failure to submit their car for scrutineering. The team claimed that key components had been held up in customs. They will be able to resubmit their car for scrutineering for the second race. [4]

The Fanboost was awarded to Nelson Piquet Jr., Sam Bird and Oliver Turvey. [1]

Qualifying

Sébastien Buemi, Jean-Éric Vergne, Nicolas Prost, Nick Heidfeld, and Lucas di Grassi advanced to the pole position shoot-out. Di Grassi was first on track, however he had a big lock up into turn 1, and therefore was unable to set a competitive time. Heidfeld then set a solid but unspectacular time, before Prost went and lapped eight-tenths faster than the German. Then Vergne went out, only to have such a big lock up at turn 1 he went straight down the escape road, and gave up. That left Buemi to try to beat 2014's polesitter, and a poor middle sector made that look unlikely, but he then superbly negotiated the final sector to take pole position. [5]

Race

Buemi got a good start from pole, while Heidfeld was quick off the line, passing Prost round the outside of turn 1 in a similar move to the one he did in the previous year's race, before attacking race leader Buemi, unsuccessfully. Buemi then pulled away. On lap 2, prost locked up and ran deep, gifting Di Grassi third place. Simona de Silvestro then went straight into the wall on lap 3, bringing out a full course yellow. Meanwhile, a battle for 5th place at the time developed between Vergne and Bruno Senna, Loïc Duval and Sam Bird. Bird then lost out when he locked up and went down the escape road, but he caught back up by lap 11, and was in the ever changing battle again. Most people pitted at the end of lap 13, and a slow stop for Heidfeld dropped him from 2nd to 4th. Heidfeld did overtake Prost for a podium again. Crucially, both Dragon cars stayed out, giving them more usable energy at the end of the race. Jacques Villeneuve and António Félix da Costa collided, putting the Portuguese driver out of the race and bringing out a full course yellow, giving even more of the advantage to the Dragon cars who lost less time. Prost was more alert than Heidfeld off the restart and went through. His rear wing then broke on lap 20, although it made no difference to performance, but he was forced to retire. This left the Dragon cars with more usable energy, having already caught Heidfeld, to fight the Mahindra driver for the final spot on the podium. Jérôme d'Ambrosio locked up and was lucky to avoid his teammate. On the final lap, Heidfeld had to park the bus, and however hard the Frenchman tried, Duval simply couldn't find a way past the Mahindra in a battle that went right to the final corner. Buemi crossed the line to dominantly win, while Di Grassi, having been very quiet throughout the race, finished 2nd. Heidfeld just managed to keep his podium. The reigning champion Nelson Piquet Jr. finished, albeit two laps down in the last classified position. [6]

Classification

Qualifying

Pos.No.DriverTeamTimeGapGrid
19 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Sébastien Buemi Renault e.Dams 1:37.4881 1
225 Flag of France.svg Jean-Éric Vergne DS Virgin Racing 1:38.028+0.5405 1
38 Flag of France.svg Nicolas Prost Renault e.Dams 1:38.206+0.7182 1
423 Flag of Germany.svg Nick Heidfeld Mahindra Racing 1:38.512+1.0243 1
511 Flag of Brazil.svg Lucas di Grassi ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 1:38.519+1.0314 1
64 Flag of France.svg Stéphane Sarrazin Venturi 1:38.645+1.1576
721 Flag of Brazil.svg Bruno Senna Mahindra Racing 1:38.761+1.2737
86 Flag of France.svg Loïc Duval Dragon Racing 1:38.859+1.3718
92 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Sam Bird DS Virgin Racing 1:38.884+1.3969
107 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jérôme d'Ambrosio Dragon Racing 1:39.058+1.57010
1166 Flag of Germany.svg Daniel Abt ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 1:39.220+1.73211
1212 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jacques Villeneuve Venturi 1:39.665+2.17712
1327 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Robin Frijns Amlin Andretti 1:39.672+2.18413
1428 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Simona de Silvestro Amlin Andretti 1:39.681+2.19314
1588 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Turvey NEXTEV TCR 1:39.734+2.24615
1655 Flag of Portugal.svg António Félix da Costa Team Aguri 1:40.295+2.80716
1777 Flag of France.svg Nathanaël Berthon Team Aguri 1:40.386+2.89817
181 Flag of Brazil.svg Nelson Piquet Jr. NEXTEV TCR 1:40.638+3.15018
Source: [7]

Notes:

Super Pole

Pos.No.DriverTeamTimeGapGrid
19 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Sébastien Buemi Renault e.Dams 1:37.2971
28 Flag of France.svg Nicolas Prost Renault e.Dams 1:37.581+0.2842
323 Flag of Germany.svg Nick Heidfeld Mahindra Racing 1:38.339+1.0423
411 Flag of Brazil.svg Lucas di Grassi ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 1:39.539+2.2424
525 Flag of France.svg Jean-Éric Vergne DS Virgin Racing 2:21.284+43.9875
Source: [7]

Race

Pos.No.DriverTeamLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
19 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Sébastien Buemi Renault e.Dams 2650:08.835125+3+2 2
211 Flag of Brazil.svg Lucas di Grassi ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 26+11.006418
323 Flag of Germany.svg Nick Heidfeld Mahindra Racing 26+15.681315
46 Flag of France.svg Loïc Duval Dragon Racing 26+16.009812
57 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Jérôme d'Ambrosio Dragon Racing 26+16.5141010
688 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oliver Turvey NEXTEV TCR 26+39.466158
72 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Sam Bird DS Virgin Racing 26+47.53196
877 Flag of France.svg Nathanaël Berthon Team Aguri 26+58.620174
94 Flag of France.svg Stéphane Sarrazin Venturi 26+1:07.81462
1027 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Robin Frijns Amlin Andretti 26+1:09.260131
1166 Flag of Germany.svg Daniel Abt ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport 26+1:13.351 3 11
1225 Flag of France.svg Jean-Éric Vergne DS Virgin Racing 26+1:31.0405
1321 Flag of Brazil.svg Bruno Senna Mahindra Racing 26+1:50.8337
1412 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jacques Villeneuve Venturi 25+1 Lap12
151 Flag of Brazil.svg Nelson Piquet Jr. NEXTEV TCR 24+2 Laps18
Ret8 Flag of France.svg Nicolas Prost Renault e.dams 22Rear wing2
Ret55 Flag of Portugal.svg António Félix da Costa Team Aguri 13Collision16
Ret28 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Simona de Silvestro Amlin Andretti 2Accident14
DNP10 Flag of Mexico.svg Salvador Durán Trulli 0Failed Scrutineering-
DNP18 Flag of Italy.svg Vitantonio Liuzzi Trulli 0Failed Scrutineering-

Notes:

Standings after the race

References

  1. 1 2 "Buemi to the max in Beijing". .fiaformulae.com. 24 October 2015. Archived from the original on 26 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  2. "Drivers hail Beijing track changes a success". fiaformulae.com. 24 October 2015. Archived from the original on 27 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  3. "Formula E - 2015 Beijing ePrix Preview". FIA. 20 October 2015.
  4. "Trulli to miss Beijing ePrix". fiaformulae.com. 23 October 2015. Archived from the original on 25 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  5. "Beijing ePrix: Buemi edges Prost for season opener pole". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  6. "Formula E news: Beijing Formula E: Sebastien Buemi dominates season opener". AUTOSPORT.com. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  7. 1 2 "BEIJING EPRIX — Official FIA Formula E Championship". fiaformulae.com. FIA. Archived from the original on 8 November 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
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