Formula E: Da Costa claims first win of season in New York E-Prix

DS Techeetah’s Antonio Felix da Costa claimed his first win of the season as he led from start to finish in Round 12 on the streets of New York.

The former world champion inherited the pole position from Envision’s Nick Cassidy his car was found to have an infringement following overnight repairs. It would have been the Kiwi’s second successive pole position, but the penalty allowed Da Costa to start at the front of the grid and he took his opportunity with both hands, sprinting away as the lights went green and holding off early advances from Mahindra’s Alex Sims and Mercedes’ Stoffel Vandoorne, who powered up the field from sixth.

Vandoorne had closed the gap to championship leader Edoardo Mortara in Round 11 with a fourth placed finish, and this time managed to find his way onto the podium after he propelled himself on to the front row in the early exchanges.

ROKiT Venturi’s Mortara will be glad to see the back of New York, with the Swiss-Italian only managing a tenth placed finish after a ninth place finish in Round 11.

Fellow championship contender Mitch Evans kept his hopes alive with an assured drive which allowed him to complete the podium lineup, with the Kiwi surging up from seventh to third in the race and third in the drivers’ standings.

The win was Da Costa, and DS Techeetah’s, first of the season, and the Portugese driver will be hoping for a flourishing end to the season with just four rounds remaining.

With his second-place finish, Stoffel Vandoorne of Mercedes EQ regains his position at the top of the drivers’ standings, jumping 11 points in front of Mortara who endured a disappointing weekend in the Big Apple.

Jaguar’s Mitch Evans rounds off the top three, sitting just 16 points behind Vandoorne as Season 8 prepares to take to the streets of London later this month.