DS Techeetah are in China this weekend for their home race in the 2019 Sanya E-Prix, the sixth round of the 2018-19 ABB FIA Formula E Championship.
The team left Hong Kong last time out pointless and are in desperate need of a good result. Jean-Eric Vergne was one especially who had a weekend to forget, as a spin in a wet qualifying session that saw him starting towards the back, along with an uncompetitive drive to fourteenth. This leaves the reigning champion still without a win since the end of season four.
“Once again, I had an incident filled E-Prix in Hong Kong, we just don’t seem to catch a break this season,” Vergne mentioned.
“Two incidents within two laps is just not cool so we will do everything that we can to have a good E-Prix in Sanya now. It’s time to turn this bad luck around and it would be beyond good to do this at our home E-Prix.”
Credit: Sam Bagnall/LAT Images
The Frenchman sits eleventh going into this round, a point behind team-mate Andre Lotterer, who will have his encounter with Sam Bird still fresh on his mind after losing a potential twenty-five points that would have most definitely had put him in championship contention.
“Although Hong Kong was beyond disappointing, I’ve now put it behind me as we re-focus on the next race and I’m keener than ever to get that win,” Lotterer said.
“The Sanya layout features a unique combination of very tight corners in sector two in medium speed combined with load corners in sector one and three. If can deliver a home win this week it would be incredible.”
Techeetah are sixth in the teams’ standings with fifty-seven points, forty off leaders Envision Virgin Racing. Team Principal Mark Preston is excited for his team to compete in their home E-Prix.
“Hong Kong was a real disappointment for everyone in the team, the win was André’s and he really deserved it,” Preston added.
“We think Sam got away with a very light penalty considering that he hit, punctured and made André retire from the race he had been leading for 28 laps. However, we fully accept the final decision from the FIA and look forward to Sanya.
“We continue to stride forward, and we’ve had everyone back at the factory to re-charge and prepare the Sanya E-Prix. It’s fair to say that we’re all quite motivated to claim a victory and it would even sweeter to do to it here in Sanya as it is our home race.”
