Formula E Punta Del Este E-Prix

[RasputinLives]

Bloomin heck! Caught out by Formula E races being so unusually close together I'd completely forgotten about the Punta Del Este E Prix. One of my favourite tracks too because the added element of sand really mixes it up. It on....well now! Stop reading this and watch Vernon Kaye walk around on a beach for half and hour before the race starts.

So shortest write up ever. Will Buemi continue to haul in the title challengers. Will Rosenqvist come back from last times DNF? Can Vergne keep up his consistency? Is Sam Birds season going the same way as all the others? Will Jaguar win a race? How many swear words will they not bleep on the radios this time out because they are in French?

Let's find out....

Edit - by the way if you did miss it then you can get it on CH5 catch up player thingy next day.

 

[Rutherford]

Quite an exciting race. Came across it by accident when flicking through the channels. EuroSport was broadcasting the qualifying session, followed by the race.
It's a shame that di Grassi was stuck behind Vergne the whole time and that Abt didn't have his seatbelt fitted properly.

 

[teabagyokel]

One of those wonderfully tense defensive drives: Jev looking like a champion-in-waiting judging by that performance but there’s still a long way to go. Is it Jev, Bird or Rosenqvist now, though?

Nice to see Di Grassi have some joy this season, but Buemi still less than happy? I suppose it’s tough in a one-car team.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Bloody Jag just can't seem to take that one step forward.

 

[RasputinLives]

Yeah but that was a ridonkliously good overtake by Evans into turn 13!

We always get a good race in n Punta Del Este. Tense all the way through. It's def advantage Vergne but I'm keeping an eye on Bird because he is head and shoulders above everyone on that New York track and that's a double header on last round of the season. If he keeps within striking distance for championship I wouldn't bet against him.

I wonder how Renault feel about being constantly beat by their customer team?

 

[cider_and_toast]

Yeah. Ridonculous indeed.

Jag are clearly performing consistently well which shows the car is where it is on speed but I want to see regular top 3 finishes and that first win. It can't be far off now.

 

[RasputinLives]

I think it'll come in the next couple of races.

Meanwhile in funnyville Lucas Di Grassi has been fined 10,000 dollars for wearing the wrong pants.

Formula E Punta del Este: Di Grassi punished for underwear offence

 

[teabagyokel]

That's the best penalty ever! Who exactly is the FIA's Underwear Technical Delegate? Must be nice for Audi to get a penalty after the podium that doesn't result in their immediate disqualification for once.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Thank god it's not F1 otherwise there would be an immediate protest from Ferrari, a ban on underwear as its a driver controlled moving aerodynamic device, a twenty nine point seven place grid drop and a 5.0846 second time penalty, just enough to not drop one place.

This would be followed by two conflicting statements from the team. A full appeal. An inquiry held in Paris running for three days. The eventual sacking of the team laundry and kit man who seemingly lied about the number of pants available and was subsequently found in possession of a photo a rival's batman pants, all though no evidence could be found that anyone in the team used Batman pants.

Further fines would be issued followed by a rule clarification stating that all drivers will now have their pants inspected before the race and, as a cost saving measure, in future a standard FIA approved pair of pants will be used by all teams and a ban on gimmicks such as button fronts will be implemented.

This will be followed by all teams threatening to leave the sport and set up their own series.

Eventually everything will be forgotten as an even dafter situation relating to socks occurs.

 

[Titch]

I suspect that the knicker inspection may well become a mandatory rule in Formula e after this, and it will find it’s way into F1 in a very short space of time.

 

[The Pits]

Did someone mis-read the technical briefs?

 

[RasputinLives]

I love the fact Di Grassi states he made the decision to wear the wrong type of pants because he'd wet the other ones. Maybe Audi issue nappies could sort the problem?

 

[FB]

Maybe Audi issue nappies could sort the problem?

Don't joke about this sort of thing - Ferrari Diaper Bag

 

[cider_and_toast]

And there was me thinking it was only Red Bull that were full of shit.

 

[Titch]

It’s all very Wallace and Grommet. I blame the evil penguin.

 

[F1Brits_90]

I never realised there was more than 1 fireproof underwear & also di grassi really did paint a mental picture

 

[F1Brits_90]

Finally got around to watching the Uruguay Formula E from saturday & by far the best race of the season. Loved the duel for the lead then we the charges up the grid from bird Evans & rosenquist. As the commentator said at the end such a great despite on paper, we No change for lead & vergne won from pole leading every lap but turned to be quite exciting & entertaining.

& without straying off topic it probally proves that f1 have gone the wrong way. Dont get me wrong I like the new cars because in qualifying they are an amazing sight. Like taking copse flat & going faster than ever. But in traffic they are pretty terrible. di grassi was able to follow JEV closely for 37 laps & for most part it was standard at 1/2sec. Which Something near impossible in F1 as cars with the dirty air struggle within a second/1.5 seconds

 

[RasputinLives]

It's quite simply due to the fact that Formula E has gone with barley any aero on the cars so drivers are able to follow closely.......which you think would be obvious if you're trying to make exciting racing.

(Everytime I write that I still expect a certain ex CTA member to come at me with a shotgun or something)

 

[F1Brits_90]

It's quite simply due to the fact that Formula E has gone with barley any aero on the cars so drivers are able to follow closely.......which you think would be obvious if you're trying to make exciting racing.

(Everytime I write that I still expect a certain ex CTA member to come at me with a shotgun or something)

Yeah its like what they in football that a winning team is the magic bullet. Makes everything ok & problems disappear. Thats the same ive felt in f1 if we get cars that can follow (which we had in 05/06 recently rewatching japan gp). With races like last weekend's eprix or racing we have had in gp2 last few yrs on regular basis. Anger of halos, unsustainable budgets, pay drivers, money inequality or new circuits will be on back burner

 

[Galahad]

I haven't seen an FE race since the inaugural season but watched the whole Uruguay event. I was rather disappointed. The circuit seemed uninspiring with a succession of similar chicanes. The cars still look very slow to my eyes, though I know change is coming there. Obviously the Jag drivers were making progress, but I didn't think the director did a good job in following them and showing action from down the field. Finally I was surprised that there wasn't more variety in energy strategy - maybe there wasn't any scope but I would have expected drivers to turn up the power when stuck behind a slower car?

Better racing than F1, sure, but not when compared to e.g. F2 or Indycars.