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The Big Apple Beckons
New York is the city that never sleeps and every season, there’s something special about racing against the backdrop of the Big Apple.
Since joining theFormula E calendar in Season 3, the Brooklyn Street Circuit has become an iconic home for inner-city all-electric street racing, and again lived up to every expectation in 2022.
From unpredictable weather conditions to strategy intrigue throughout the field, the New York City E-Prix had it all and we’re already relishing the chance to return once more here at ROKiT Venturi Racing.
The Qualifying Machine
Since winning the Season 4 New York City E-Prix, the Brooklyn Street Circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Lucas di Grassi and in his 2022 return, the Brazilian was on a charge.
By showcasing his unrivalled Formula E experience, he mastered Saturday’s treacherous, changeable qualifying conditions to advance into the duel stages after posting a quick lap at the start of Group B.
He first faced off against Nissan e.dams’ Sebastien Buemi and by defeating the Swiss racer, next stepped up into the Semi-Finals.
Unfortunately, Lucas was pipped by Stoffel Vandoorne at the penultimate stage but nevertheless, secured third on the grid for the first race of the weekend – a prime position to fight from and his best qualifying result of the season to date.
The Top-Three Return
When racing got underway, Lucas extracted every ounce of available performance and by securing a clean getaway from row two, immediately ascended to second by passing Vandoorne into Turn One.
He was soon hot on the heels of polesitter Nick Cassidy and overtook for the lead when the Envision Racing driver activated his first Attack Mode in the ninth minute.
When Lucas followed suit, he returned to second but still remained within striking distance as the pair continued to exchange positions as their Attack Mode strategies unfolded.
A sudden splash of rain eight minutes from the chequered flag caused Lucas, alongside Cassidy and Vandoorne, to aquaplane off the circuit which resulted in a red flag.
When it was confirmed that the race would not resume, the results were final, with Lucas claiming his best finish of the season with second, only 1.123 seconds shy of winner Cassidy.
The Streetfighter
After losing fifth place in Race One following a controversial penalty, Edoardo Mortara was determined to deliver when Sunday’s proceedings commenced in FP3.
An issue in the final practice of the weekend impacted his preparations, however, and a subsequent brake-by-wire problem in qualifying relegated him to a back-row start for Race Two.
Fuelled by his fighting spirit, the Swiss-Italian set his sights forward and delivered a classic comeback drive by fighting through the competitive Formula E field.
After saving energy in the first part to deploy in the final third, Edo rose through the ranks and gained a staggering and impressive 11 positions to take 10th at the flag.
Maintaining his points-scoring run, Edo continued to add to his World Championship points tally, with the fight for the title now entering its final stages.
The One-Lap Extraordinaire
When Edo joined ROKiT Venturi Racing in Season 4, he showcased his class immediately by finishing second on debut but despite now having five wins and 12 podiums, his pursuit for his first fastest lap was a long time coming.
In New York, he finally set the record straight and posted the fastest lap of the race in his 58th time of trying to score one bonus point.
One wasn’t enough, however, and on Sunday Edo did it again, clocking the fastest tour of Race Two and another additional point.
With this achievement, Edo is the first Formula E driver to secure both fastest laps in a double-header round, while ROKiT Venturi Racing has set 50% of all fastest laps this season.
As Formula E draws nearer to its 2022 conclusion, ROKiT Venturi Racing next heads to the ExceL Circuit for the London E-Prix – the penultimate race weekend of the current campaign – on 30-31 July.
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