As in earlier years, the title battle went right down to the ultimate spherical of the 2022-2023 System E Championship after one other frenetic season of racing. There have been no fewer than seven winners throughout the marketing campaign, representing six totally different groups and utilizing three totally different powertrains, such was the competitiveness of the championship this time period.
Porsche and its buyer Andretti Autosport initially emerged because the main forces with the brand new Gen3 machine. Both Pascal Wehrlein or Jake Dennis appeared destined to assert a maiden System E title come the top of the 12 months, such was their early dominance.
However a resurgent fightback from Jaguar and buyer workforce Envision Racing, with Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy respectively, arrange an intriguing title dynamic as all 4 drivers went to the ultimate spherical in London with a shot on the crown. In the long run, Dennis prevailed on residence soil whereas Envision claimed a maiden groups’ title after a dramatic conclusion to the 16-race calendar.
Perception: The highs and lows of Britain’s latest world championship success
Following an enthralling season of racing which featured a number of notable performances, Autosport has picked out the highest 10 System E drivers from the marketing campaign.
10. Sebastien Buemi
Buemi simply beats Chicken for the final spot within the high 10
Picture by: Nick Dungan / Motorsport Images
Championship place: sixth
2021-2022 driver rating: N/C
Buemi pips Sam Bird to the ultimate spot on this checklist, primarily resulting from being extra constant throughout the season which proved very important in Envision’s quest to beat Jaguar to the groups’ title. The 2015-16 System E champion solely failed to complete within the factors on 4 events, having been collected by Wehrlein on the opening lap in Cape City and eradicated in a multi-car crash triggered by Chicken in Rome. Entrance wing harm within the second Berlin race and a puncture within the opening Jakarta contest meant he additionally non-scored in each.
Regardless of his spectacular consistency Buemi extremely solely claimed one podium all 12 months, though he was stripped of third in Hyderabad resulting from a time penalty for overpower utilization which dropped him down the ultimate classification. His greatest probability of victory got here within the opening Berlin E-Prix having taken his second pole place of the 12 months after Diriyah, however he didn’t defend laborious sufficient within the closing laps and dropped to fourth earlier than the end.
His single podium got here within the penultimate race in London, however solely after colliding with team-mate Cassidy which ended the Kiwi’s title problem after he was pressured to pit for a brand new entrance wing. Though not fully accountable, Buemi has to take some duty for the incident throughout a season the place he was convincingly put within the shade by a number of winner Cassidy.
The System E rookie impressed in spurts however lacked consistency
Picture by: Andreas Beil
Championship place: sixteenth
2021-2022 driver rating: N/C
Basically his rookie season having solely made a really late one-off look for Dragon Penske on the ultimate race in 2022, Fenestraz impressed with flashes of uncooked pace this time period. First factors of the season for the youngest full-time driver on the grid got here with eighth in Diriyah earlier than he claimed his maiden pole in Cape City simply two races later. He was on track to complete third in arguably his greatest exhibiting of the 12 months in South Africa earlier than crashing out on the ultimate lap when below stress from Cassidy.
Initially he claimed one other pole at Monaco however was stripped of his ultimate duel time resulting from overpower utilization, however nonetheless led briefly throughout the race and took his greatest end of the 12 months in fourth. It was a end result he repeated within the second Jakarta occasion having challenged Evans for the ultimate podium place within the closing phases.
Fenestraz comfortably outqualified his extra skilled Nissan team-mate Norman Nato 10-6 over the season however lacked consistency and vitality administration within the races, which meant he completed 31 factors behind within the ultimate championship standings.
8. Jake Hughes
Hughes took benefit of McLaren’s early season kind and likewise outshone skilled team-mate Rast
Picture by: Charly Lopez / Motorsport Images
Championship place: twelfth
2021-2022 driver rating: N/C
One other rookie to the System E grid in 2023, Hughes hit the bottom working within the opening races with some spectacular outcomes. The McLaren driver certified third for the primary spherical in Mexico Metropolis and blended it with the frontrunners earlier than ending fifth after being mugged by Andre Lotterer on the final lap.
Eighth adopted within the first Diriyah E-Prix as Hughes bagged his maiden pole within the sequel earlier than he slipped to fifth by the flag and behind team-mate Rene Rast. Over the course of the season, although, Hughes beat his extra skilled stablemate within the championship standings by eight factors, however McLaren’s efficiency notably trailed away throughout the latter phases of the season.
Tenth within the opening London E-Prix was the one factors end Hughes loved within the ultimate six races – in distinction with seven throughout the primary 10 races – along with his season’s low level coming in qualifying for the primary Rome encounter when he crashed in qualifying and was unable to make the beginning.
In distinction, his spotlight was taking pole at Monaco, benefitting when Fenestraz was stripped of his lap regardless of Hughes additionally having his lap time deleted for slicing the Nouvelle chicane. He led briefly within the race earlier than ending fifth, his greatest results of the 12 months. The Briton was confirmed earlier this week to be returning with McLaren in 2024.
It was largely both feast or famine for Guenther this 12 months
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Championship place: seventh
2021-2022 driver rating: N/C
The German was one thing of a darkish horse over the season and on his day among the best drivers on the grid. The one drawback was these days got here alongside all too fleetingly. A basic lack of tempo for the Maserati MSG squad within the opening races prevented the possibility for sturdy outcomes and when on track for a possible podium in Cape City, Guenther discovered the barrier.
It took till the seventh spherical in Berlin earlier than he received off the mark with factors, demoting Buemi on the ultimate bend to seize third which he adopted up on the subsequent day with sixth. A foolish collision with Dan Ticktum in Monaco value extra factors, earlier than his greatest weekend of the season got here in Jakarta.
Having earned a double pole, he misplaced out to Wehrlein and Dennis within the opening race as they managed technique higher. However with classes discovered for the sequel, Guenther took his sole victory of the season as solely Dennis was in a position to hold him in sight.
Extra factors got here in Portland and each Rome races – one other podium within the first Italian race – however his considerably rollercoaster season ended on a low observe in London as he completed outdoors the highest 10 each instances.
Vergne was set to be a title contender till DS Penske efficiency slipped off the tempo
Picture by: DPPI
Championship place: fifth
2021-2022 driver rating: 4th
The primary driver on this checklist to have taken a high 10 spot in final 12 months’s Autosport System E driver rankings, Vergne took the title battle to the extra dominant Jaguar and Porsche powertrain customers within the first half of the season. The DS Penske driver and two-time System E champion was at his greatest in Hyderabad, the place regardless of having much less vitality than Cassidy behind, he one way or the other stored forward within the closing phases whereas conserving sufficient energy to win.
He seemed on track for back-to-back wins earlier than Antonio Felix da Costa usurped him for the lead in Cape City two laps from residence, however his run of factors finishes continued for an extra 5 races and included one other rostrum in Berlin.
By this time Vergne had known as for higher efficiency from his workforce but it surely was largely inevitable that he would slip away within the title battle in opposition to stronger packages within the ultimate phases. The truth that he was in a position to beat reigning champion and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne so convincingly over the season was a testomony to his spectacular performances.
5. Antonio Felix da Costa
Da Costa not often had luck on his facet, however might bounce from ninth to fifth within the ultimate standings if Porsche’s attraction is profitable
Picture by: Gareth Harford / Motorsport Images
Championship place: ninth
2021-2022 driver rating: sixth
Fairly presumably the unluckiest driver on the grid, da Costa typically gave the impression to be within the mistaken place on the mistaken time at numerous factors of the season. Nonetheless, a few of that was resulting from beginning down the grid, because the 2019-2020 System E champion struggled for one-lap tempo – a notable weak point of the Porsche powertrain.
A primary podium in Hyderabad was adopted up by a win in Cape City with presumably the overtake of the season on Vergne, however thereafter outcomes have been laborious to come back by. A possible podium disappeared in Sao Paulo after he lower the primary nook and was pressured to come back to a cease, and one other doable podium went lacking in Berlin after he was the harmless sufferer in a collision with Dennis.
Yet another rostrum adopted in Portland, however solely after he misplaced second to Dennis on the ultimate lap, and he was stripped of a well-earned second in London resulting from a technical infringement. Porsche has appealed the choice, the workforce and da Costa claiming the low tyre stress was resulting from a gradual puncture, and if the choice is efficiently overturned it should carry the Portuguese to fifth within the standings.
4. Pascal Wehrlein
The German led the standings with six races to go however pale poorly to fourth general
Picture by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images
Championship place: 4th
2021-2022 driver rating: ninth
At one stage of the season Wehrlein appeared nearly assured of the title, such was his and Porsche’s early dominance. Remarkably, he solely failed to attain in simply one of many 16 races when he bumped into the again of Buemi on the opening lap in Cape City.
A runner-up place in Mexico Metropolis was adopted by back-to-back wins in Diriyah as essentially the most constant performer within the championship continued to attain factors after his South Africa blip. With Porsche’s early dominance fading, although, so too did the sturdy outcomes.
Wehrlein nonetheless led the championship till the season’s midway level regardless of the downturn in kind and he moved again to the highest of the standings with victory in Jakarta, his third win of the season giving renewed hope for a title problem. However he by no means stood on the podium once more within the ultimate six races and though he entered the London decider nonetheless with a shot of the title, any lifelike ideas of the championship had pale way back.
3. Mitch Evans
Collisions, each brought on by himself or rivals, denied Evans sufficient momentum for a stronger title assault
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Championship place: third
2021-2022 driver rating: 2nd
Whereas Wehrlein’s marketing campaign started in nearly good trend, the other was true for Evans. Though there have been three factors finishes on the bounce, they have been within the decrease reaches of the highest 10. Then got here Hyderabad, the place the Jaguar driver had taken pole earlier than he was dramatically eradicated by team-mate Chicken. Extremely, the identical was to occur once more later within the season throughout the first Jakarta race, with each incidents costing the Kiwi a stronger tilt on the title.
Heading to Sao Paulo for the sixth race of the 12 months, Evans was already 66 factors off the lead within the championship however wins in Brazil after which subsequent day out in Berlin whittled that hole down, as did additional podiums in Monaco and the second Jakarta race. He gained the opening race in Rome having dominated on the venue 12 months earlier and was within the combine the next day with fellow rivals Cassidy and Dennis earlier than his notorious collision with the previous.
Evans bounced again from the following grid penalty within the opening London race to win and make Dennis work for the title, however he missed out on the crown on the ultimate spherical for the third 12 months in a row. What might have been however for the Rome collision with Cassidy?
2. Jake Dennis
11 podiums in 16 races was a formidable success fee, however two wins in that tally imply he misses out on high spot on this rating
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Championship place: 1st
2021-2022 driver rating: fifth
Eleven podiums have been the spine to Dennis’s marketing campaign and in the end key to his title success regardless of an notorious run of 4 races with out scoring any factors. The Andretti Autosport driver circled pre-season struggles to win convincingly in Mexico Metropolis earlier than difficult Wehrlein till the road within the Diriyah double-header.
Then started a collection of misfortunes, which included being eradicated by Ticktum in Sao Paulo and Rast in Hyderabad, a drive-through penalty in Cape City for tyre pressures being too low and he collected da Costa in Berlin.
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A runner-up end within the second Berlin race broke the hoodoo and set Dennis on a run of 5 podium finishes on the bounce, the break within the sequence coming within the opening Rome race when his Andretti workforce miscalculated the variety of laps left. He nonetheless completed fourth, although, and when title rivals Cassidy and Evans collided the subsequent day, Dennis secured a lights-to-flag victory to place the title in attain forward of London.
That he was in a position to take the battle to, and beat, the extra dominant Jaguar powertrain drivers within the latter a part of the season, in direct distinction to fellow Porsche consumer and title rival Wehrlein, solely underlined his spectacular season.
1. Nick Cassidy
Cassidy’s season-ending drive cemented his high spot on this checklist, in a season when destiny might have made him champion
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Championship place: 2nd
2021-2022 driver rating: tenth
Cassidy snags the highest spot on this checklist for the best way he bounced again within the London finale, the place he obliterated his rivals with out placing a wheel mistaken in moist and treacherous situations. All this simply 24 hours after presumably his lowest second in motorsport, when an nearly sure victory and lifelike probability of the title was misplaced in a collision with team-mate Buemi. His moist virtuoso efficiency additionally assured Envision the groups’ title on his ultimate outing with the squad when it will have been all too straightforward to let occasions from earlier day get the higher of him.
The championship challenger needed to wait till simply earlier than the midway level of the season and the second Berlin race earlier than standing on the highest step of the rostrum, having completed second in Hyderabad and Sao Paulo in addition to third in Cape City. He continued his sturdy run of kind with a formidable win in Monaco which put him to the highest of the standings, earlier than a small blip in Jakarta when he misplaced his entrance wing in a collision with Wehrlein.
He dealt with the frenetic racing in Portland brilliantly to take his third win, every coming from eighth or decrease on the grid to showcase Cassidy’s wonderful race craft and vitality administration. Was the harmless sufferer in his Rome collision with future Jaguar team-mate Evans, with out which Cassidy might properly have walked away because the 2022-2023 System E champion.
Stepping as much as the manufacturing facility Jaguar workforce subsequent season, can Cassidy go one higher?
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