Formula E Portland E-Prix: DS Penske Gets Record Penalty for Illegally Installed Equipment
After DS Penske was found guilty of obtaining an unfair and substantial advantage in Saturday's race, both Vandoorne and teammate Jean-Eric Vergne were penalised by having to start the race from the pitlane.
By Divyam Dubey
After installing an RFID reader at the pit door during Formula E qualifying round in Portland, Oregon, the DS Penske team was penalised EUR 25,000 by the FIA stewards for trying to gain an unfair advantage over the other teams. In addition, Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Éric Vergne, the team's drivers, were both given a pit lane start penalty. In the initial form of the fine notice, it stated that the technology in issue could "collect live data from all cars"; however, in the revised version, the statement "concerning the tyres fitted by scanning the bar codes" was omitted. After seeing DS Penske employees affixing the device this morning, an FIA official reportedly informed the FIA technical delegate. Formula E will use the new "Gen 3" vehicle design and Hankook iON tyres beginning with the 2023 season.
Formula E: Why was DS Penske Penalised?
The penalty bulletin said that competitors were initially prohibited from generally installing or placing any equipment in the pitlane and that data collecting via this manner would offer the competition a lot of information, which is a substantial and unfair advantage.
In recent races, the FIA has announced a number of specific adjustments to sports laws pertaining to the placing of tyres in and near pit boxes. The goal of these explanations is to eliminate the need for cooling and preparation of tyres by means other than those specified.
It is also against the rules for teams to install or position any equipment on the circuit during official practice sessions. Although RFID tracking is standard practise in several series, it seems to be a first for Formula E.
Vergne had the better race out of the two DS Penske drivers, who both benefited from two safety car periods in the first part of the race to make up ground after starting from the pit lane. With a couple of laps remaining, the French driver was in fourth place until falling behind due to an off-track excursion, while Vandoorne struggled throughout the whole 32-lap race and ended up with his poorest result since the Diriyah races in January.
Vandoorne said that the team's decision to start from the pitlane had little impact on the outcome since their competitors were unable to jump out to an early lead because of the severe need to save energy.
Also Read: Interview: How Frederic Bertrand Plans to Resurrect Mahindra Racing in Formula E
Nick Cassidy Repeats as 2023 Formula E Portland E-Prix Champion
Nick Cassidy of Envision Racing put on a sensational performance in the first ever Portland E-Prix, winning by a very close margin for the forth time this season. The New Zealander did very well, climbing all the way to first place in Oregon from tenth on the starting grid. Championship opponent Jake Dennis of Avalanche Andretti came in second to Cassidy. Cassidy is currently second in the Drivers standings, one point behind Dennis, while TAG Heuer Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein has dropped to third.
The New Zealander Cassidy took the lead many times throughout the race. Cassidy executed the decisive move on Lap 28, only a few circuits after the Portuguese driver Da Costa had seized the lead. Cassidy seized the lead on Lap 3, and despite constant pressure from Da Costa, who had started seventh, he held on until the checkered flag.
