Beyond the solid leadership of Stofel Vandoorne and the victorious reunion of Jake Dennis with his fans, the London E-Prix left interesting anecdotes that have had little coverage on the press.
One of the curious situations that took place in the urban circuit of the British capital was the injury of Sam Bird, who finished the race practically driving with only one hand due to injury.
Finally, it was learned that the driver suffered a fracture after an incident on the first lap, which did not prevent him from crossing the checkered flag in eighth place.
Read also: Dennis on his Few Title Options: “We were not Fast Enough”
However, after several medical studies, the driver will be disqualified for the race in Seoul, South Korea, the last stop of Formula E season 8.
Total Frustration
Although Bird has no clear chances of winning the title, he said he was totally devastated by the news, especially since he was going to reach a round number within his participation in the electric single-seater series.
“I’m devastated not to be driving in the last two rounds of the season in Seoul, particularly as it would have been my 100th race in Formula E,” he said in statements broadcast by Motorsport.
He detailed that he needs to spend the next few weeks recovering from surgery on his left hand to be fully fit for testing and season nine.
The Replacement
Norman Nato, a former Venturi driver, will take Bird’s place for the final two races of the year. Nato scored 54 points in Formula E last year, finishing 18th in the drivers’ championship, but won the final contest of the campaign in Berlin before being replaced by 2016-17 category champion Lucas di Grassi.
“I have confidence in Norman, he’s a race winner and I’m sure he’ll bring some big points home for Jaguar,” Bird said.
For his part, Nato noted that despite having more than a year since he last drove a Formula E car, when he climbs into the Jaguar I-TYPE 5 next weekend, he will be fighting for as many points as possible. “I want to make the most of this opportunity”.
“I want to wish Sam the quickest of recoveries. As a reserve driver, I’ve been with the team every step of the way this season,” he added.
Bird’s Jaguar teammate Mitch Evans does have scepter aspirations, although his retirement in London took him away from the dream.
