Sebastien Buemi achieves a hatrick of Formula E wins with victory in Buenos Aires

Renault e.Dams driver and reigning Formula E champion Sebastien Buemi retained his championship start after winning the first three races of the season ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne and Lucas Di Grassi in a race that both of the latter drivers having the upper hand over Buemi in the first half of the race especially.

Di Grassi led the race from pole early on, with Vergne and third-place starter Buena in hot pursuit. But by Lap 3, Vergne challenged Di Grassi for the lead and found himself slipping from first to third in the space of three corners on the third lap after Buemi found a way past him.

Vergne lasted about as long in the lead, with Buemi executing a fine move under braking at the first corner and quickly establishing a strong advantage. By Lap 18, Buemi had a five second lead and had to switch cars; Vergne gradually ate into in the second half of the race.

Vergne cut the deficit to two seconds but a strong final lap helped Buemi ease home, with Vergne a comfortable second and di Grassi who then fell to fifth in the opening stint and remained in third place.

But in the second stage of the ePrix Di Grassi had to repass Buemi’s Renault team-mate Nicolas Prost to earn his podium. The Abt team released di Grassi into the path of Nelson Piquet Jr, who gesticulated as the two narrowly avoided a collision. Di Grassi was then placed under investigation for an alleged unsafe release and was indeed penalised for with a £1500 fine after the race was finished.

With Di Grassi regaining one of the positions he lost early on by emerging from the pits ahead of Piquet’s NextEV team-mate Oliver Turvey and then dived past the jinking Nico Prost into Turn 1.

We also saw Faraday Future Dragon Racing drivers Loic Duval and Jerome d'Ambrosio racing each other hard during the ePrix. Both drivers had a fierce wheel to wheel fight to see Duval especially rise from fourteenth place to sixth place.

Mitch Evans looked like he would claim Jaguar’s first points in Formula E after starting seventh and running solidly in the top 10 for the first two-thirds of the race. But the New Zealander picked up a five-second time penalty for speeding under a full-course yellow, and he dropped to eleventh place on the road anyway after having to save energy in the closing stages.

In conclusion, it was Renault e.dams driver Buemi that stole the show and kept Vergne at arm’s length in the second half of the race and opens up a 29-point lead at the top of the drivers’ championship.

But it was Sebastien Buemi who won his third race of the FIA Formula E Championship season at the Buenos Aires ePrix ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne in second place who was 2.996 seconds behind him. Vergne finished ahead of Lucas Di Grassi in third place who was 6.921 seconds behind Buemi.

Nicolas Prost finished in fourth place ahead of Nelson Piquet Jr in fifth place, Loic Duval in a brilliant sixth place, Daniel Abt in a solid seventh place, Jerome D'Ambrosio in a solid eighth place, Oliver Turvey in ninth place and Jose Maria Lopez who rounded off the top ten finishers of the race and scored his first point at his home race.

Antonio Felix Da Costa finished just outside the top ten in eleventh place ahead of Stephane Sarrazin in twelfth place, Mitch Evans in thirteenth place, Robert Frijns in fourteenth place and Nick Heidfeld in fifteenth place.

As we head into the latter stages of the grid, Ma Qing Hua finished the race in sixteenth place ahead of Adam Carroll in seventeenth place and Felix Rosenqvist in eighteenth place. Maro Engel and Sam Bird did not finish the race.

Here is the classification of the 2016 Buenos Aires ePrix as follows:–

1. Sebastien Buemi, Renault e.Dams, 45.45.623s
2. Jean-Eric Vergne, Techeetah, +2.996s
3. Lucas di Grassi, Abt Schaeffler Audi Sport, +6.921s
4. Nicolas Prost, Renault e.Dams, +8.065s
5. Nelson Piquet Jr, NEXTEV NIO, +9.770s
6. Loic Duval, Faraday Future Dragon Racing, +35.103s
7. Daniel Abt, ABT Shaeffler Audi Sport, +35.801s
8. Jerome D'Ambrosio, Faraday Future Dragon Racing, +36.335s
9. Oliver Turvey, NEXTEV NIO, +37.111s
10. Jose Maria Lopez, DS Virgin Racing, +38.206s
11. Antonio Felix Da Costa, Andretti, +43.740s
12. Stephane Sarrazin, Venturi, +44.243s
13. Mitch Evans, Jaguar Racing, +44.918s
14. Robin Frijns, Andretti, +49.683s
15. Nick Heidfeld, Mahindra Racing, +51.456s
16. Ma Qing Hua, Techeetah, 1 lap
17. Adam Carroll, Jaguar Racing, 1 lap
18. Felix Rosenqvist, Mahindra Racing, 3 laps
19. Maro Engel, Venturi, Not Classified
20. Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing, Not Classified

Sebastien Buemi leads the Formula E Drivers Championship with 75 points ahead of Lucas di Grassi in second with 46 points, Nicolas Prost in third with 36 points, Jean-Eric Vergne in fourth with 22 points, Felix Rosenqvist in fifth with 20 points, Sam Bird in sixth with 18 points, Nick Heidfeld in seventh with 17 points, Daniel Abt in eighth with 14 points,

Nelson Piquet Jr is ninth with 13 points, Oliver Turvey is in tenth with 12 points , Antonio Felix Da Costa is eleventh with 10 points, Jerome D' Ambrosio is twelfth with 10 points, Loic Duval is in thirteenth with 9 points, Robert Frijns is fourteenth with 8 points, Maro Engel is fifteenth with 2 points, Jose Maria Lopez is sixteenth with 2 points and Stephane Sarrazin is seventeenth with 1 point.

Renault e.dams leads the Formula E Constructors Championship with 111 points, Abt Schaffler Audi Sport are second with 60 points, Mahindra Racing are third with 37 points, NEXTEV NIO are fourth with 25 points, Techeetah are fifth with 22 points, DS Virgin Racing are sixth with 20 points, Faraday Future Dragon Racing are seventh with 19 points, Andretti are eighth with 18 points and Venturi are ninth with 3 points.

Driving for Pleasure will be producing reports on every session of every ePrix the 2016/2017 FIA Formula E Championship as well as covering the latest news as it breaks in the paddock.

Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa