Edoardo Mortara regained the lead in the 2021-22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship standings after taking his third victory of the season in the Marrakesh E-Prix.
The ROKiT Venturi Racing driver used his attack modes to good use to get into the lead at the expense of early leader António Félix da Costa, and Mortara then held on until the chequered flag despite the heat in Morocco causing concerns across the grid.
Félix da Costa had put his DS Techeetah on pole position earlier in the day and held onto the lead at the start, but the Portuguese racer was one of the first to use both of his three-minute attack modes. Both allowed Mortara through into the lead, with the Swiss racer then taking his own attack modes a lap later.
Mortara was able to hold onto the lead after his second use of the attack mode, and from there on he was able to control the race from the front while all the battles ensued behind for the rest of the top ten.
Félix da Costa was embroiled in a battle with team-mate Jean-Éric Vergne, Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans and Mahindra Racing’s Oliver Rowland, ultimately coming out on top of the battle as energy consumption played a key part in the race.
With additional energy to use, Vergne was initially allowed ahead of his team-mate, but it was role reversal later in the race as Félix da Costa was unleashed to attack Mortara. However, it was not to be, with the Portuguese racer ending the day second, 2.297 seconds back on the race winner.
Vergne missed out on the podium after being forced to drop pace on the final lap, although Evans was lucky not to hit the Frenchman’s car as he slowed, the New Zealander taking good avoiding action to sweep through into the final podium position.
A late surge saw Lucas di Grassi end the day in fifth in the second Venturi ahead of defending champion Nyck de Vries of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, while Jake Dennis enjoyed a return to form with seventh place for Avalanche Andretti FE Team. However, the Briton will be rueing the need to conserve energy late in the day that cost him a potential top five finish.
After a dreadful Qualifying session in which he started the race in twentieth, pre-race championship leader Stoffel Vandoorne was able to salvage eighth place in the second Mercedes, although it was not enough for him to keep hold of the lead in the standings heading out of Marrakesh.
Sam Bird ended ninth for Jaguar, while Rowland’s early pace saw him overuse energy and left him falling through the field in the final laps, ultimately ending the day tenth.
Vandoorne’s run through the field meant Oliver Askew missed out on points in eleventh, while it was a tough day for the Tag Heuer Porsche FE Team, with Pascal Wehrlein the best placed of the two drivers in twelfth as they took an aggressive energy saving tactic early on that ultimately did not pay off – team-mate André Lotterer ended fifteenth.
It was also a disappointing day for Envision Racing, with Nick Cassidy ending thirteenth and Robin Frijns eighteenth as they struggled all race for any kind of performance.
Marrakesh E-Prix Race Result
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | NAT | TEAM | TIME/GAP |
| 1 | 48 | Edoardo Mortara | CHE | ROKIT Venturi Racing | 34 Laps |
| 2 | 13 | António Félix da Costa | POR | DS Techeetah | +2.297 |
| 3 | 9 | Mitch Evans | NZL | Jaguar TCS Racing | +6.270 |
| 4 | 25 | Jean-Éric Vergne | FRA | DS Techeetah | +6.965 |
| 5 | 11 | Lucas di Grassi | BRZ | ROKiT Venturi Racing | +7.787 |
| 6 | 17 | Nyck de Vries | NED | Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team | +8.394 |
| 7 | 27 | Jake Dennis | GBR | Avalanche Andretti FE Team | +12.084 |
| 8 | 5 | Stoffel Vandoorne | BEL | Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team | +14.541 |
| 9 | 10 | Sam Bird | GBR | Jaguar TCS Racing | +15.048 |
| 10 | 30 | Oliver Rowland | GBR | Mahindra Racing | +15.270 |
| 11 | 28 | Oliver Askew | USA | Avalanche Andretti FE Team | +16.336 |
| 12 | 99 | Pascal Wehrlein | GER | TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team | +30.043 |
| 13 | 37 | Nick Cassidy | NZL | Envision Racing | +31.970 |
| 14 | 29 | Alexander Sims | GBR | Mahindra Racing | +32.332 |
| 15 | 36 | André Lotterer | GER | TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team | +32.364 |
| 16 | 23 | Sébastien Buemi | CHE | Nissan e.DAMS | +33.707 |
| 17 | 8 | Oliver Turvey | GBR | NIO 333 FE Team | +35.018 |
| 18 | 4 | Robin Frijns | NED | Envision Racing | +35.686 |
| 19 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | ITA | Dragon/Penske Autosport | +40.887 |
| 20 | 7 | Sérgio Sette Câmara | BRZ | Dragon/Penske Autosport | +42.764 |
| 21 | 28 | Maximilian Günther | GER | Nissan e.DAMS | +2 Laps |
| 22 | 33 | Dan Ticktum | GBR | NIO 333 FE Team | +6 Laps |
