Mercedes-EQ driver Stfofel Vandoorne asserted his favoritism in Formula E season 8, after finishing second in the last race held in Seoul, South Korea.
The Belgian was the most consistent driver, having 14 podiums, a situation that led him to surpass Edoardo Mortara and Mitch Evans, the other candidates for the title.
The Seoul street circuit was dominated by Mortara, who made up for his retirement on Saturday with an excellent driving performance, while Vandoorne, always ahead of Evans, only advanced positions in the last laps, until he crossed the finish line in second place after 34 laps.
The hopes of Evans, winner on Saturday and second overall by 21 points, had been greatly reduced by not going through to the knockout round in qualifying. He had to start from 13th and his progression during the race only took him up to seventh place.
Briton Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti FE) completed the final podium of the season, 6.649 behind the winner.
Mercedes Dominance
Vandoorne’s title confirmed Mercedes’ power as he succeeded his teammate, Nick De Vries, on the Formula E championship podium. The party was complete for Mercedes EQ, which also wins the teams’ title, revalidating last season’s double. A golden brooch for the brand of the star that next year will not be in the electric competition.
“Unbelievable the season we’ve had: the consistency and the car have been spectacular, and the team has done an incredible job. I think every single one of us deserves it. What we have achieved is something special,” said Vandoorne after the race.
The Belgian noted that although his rivals for the title had won more races than him, he had a more consistent performance throughout the season. “They have more wins than me, but I think I have the most podiums. It was hard to concentrate because the pace at the end was so high, I knew Jake had a five-second penalty, so I had to stay close enough to him to secure P2. It was an amazing day, a lot of concentration. I’m exhausted after this year, it’s been a great effort,” he stressed.
Vandoorne, 30, continued in Seoul with his conservative strategy to minimize risks and take advantage of the 21-point lead over New Zealander Mitch Evans (Jaguar RCS) with which he faced the final race to become champion.
With the Formula E title, the Mercedes driver adds a new scepter to the GP2 Series championship in 2015. It should be noted that Vandoorne had a stint in Formula 1 in 2017 and 2018.
