P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Sam Bird took NEOM McLaren’s first win in Formula E with a spectacular last-gasp pass on Mitch Evans in the Sao Paulo E-Prix. Bird swept round the outside of Evans at Turn 10, the penultimate corne…
Sam Bird captured NEOM McLaren’s initial triumph in Formula E by executing a thrilling last-moment overtake on Mitch Evans at the Sao Paulo E-Prix. Bird successfully maneuvered around Evans at Turn 10 on the final lap after closely tailing the Jaguar TCS Racing driver following a safety car restart triggered by a crash involving Evans’ teammate Nick Cassidy. The race witnessed two safety car interventions, the first occurring on lap eight due to debris causing damage to front wings of several cars, including Cassidy’s, directly leading to the second yellow flag period after Cassidy’s car suffered further issues. Despite the race being prolonged by three extra laps due to safety car interruptions, Bird and Evans managed to break away from the pack to engage in an intense, flat-out finish for victory. Oliver Rowland secured the final podium spot by overtaking Pascal Wehrlein at the last corner, showcasing a fierce battle for top positions behind the leading duo. The race also marked significant achievements such as Bird delivering McLaren’s maiden win and Nissan’s first triumph in the GEN3 era as a powertrain supplier, with Rowland clinching his second consecutive podium finish. Jake Dennis impressively climbed from 11th to contend for the win but settled for fifth, while Jean-Eric Vergne’s victory in the intra-team battle with Stoffel Vandoorne and Maximilian Guenther’s notable ninth-place finish from the back highlighted the eventful race day.
