2018 Punta del Este ePrix
The 2018 Punta del Este ePrix (formally the 2018 ABB Formula E CBMM Niobium Punta del Este E-Prix) was a Formula E electric car race held at the Punta del Este Street Circuit in the Uruguayan city of Punta del Este, on 17 March 2018. It was the sixth round of the 2017–18 Formula E Championship and the third Punta de Este ePrix as part of the FIA Formula E Championship. The 37-lap race was won by Techeetah driver Jean-Éric Vergne from pole position. Lucas di Grassi finished second for Audi and Virgin driver Sam Bird was third.
| 2018 Punta del Este ePrix | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Race 6 of 12 of the 2017–18 Formula E Championship
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| Race details | |||||
| Date | 17 March 2018 | ||||
| Official name | 2018 ABB Formula E CBMM Nobium Punta del Este E-Prix | ||||
| Location | Punta del Este Street Circuit, Maldonado Department | ||||
| Course | Street circuit | ||||
| Course length | 2.785 km (1.731 mi) | ||||
| Distance | 37 laps, 103.045 km (64.029 mi) | ||||
| Weather | Hot and sunny | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver | Techeetah-Renault | ||||
| Time | 1:16.806 | ||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver | José María López | Dragon-Penske | |||
| Time | 1:16.811 on lap 31 | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First | Techeetah-Renault | ||||
| Second | Audi | ||||
| Third |
| Virgin-Citroën | |||
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Lap leaders | |||||
Vergne won the pole position after di Grassi, Alex Lynn and Oliver Turvey were penalised for exceeding track limits in qualifying and maintained the lead on the first lap. The race was temporarily neutralised between the fourth and sixth laps when officials extracted the car of Nick Heidfeld who stopped with power issues. Vergne led di Grassi at the restart and the latter remained close behind the former in the next 13 laps until the field made mandatory pit stops to change into a second car. Over the remainder of the race, Di Grassi attempted to pass Vergne but the former prevented the latter from doing so and took his second victory of the season and the third of his career.
The result increased Vergne's lead atop the Drivers' Championship to 30 points over Felix Rosenqvist and Bird maintained third place. Sébastien Buemi and Nelson Piquet Jr. did not finish due to car issues but stayed in fourth and fifth positions. Techeetah further extended their Teams' Championship lead to 27 points over Mahindra and Virgin overtook Jaguar for third with six races left in the season.