Cool temperatures and rain presented DS Penske drivers Maximilian Günther and Taylor Barnard with a special challenge at the Miami E-Prix.
The Formula E Miami E-Prix at the end of January brought unexpected conditions. Instead of sunshine, the US state of Florida, otherwise known as the “Sunshine State,” showed its rainy side. Short-term precipitation disrupted the setup plans of many teams and also had an impact on DS Penske’s result.
The race was held on the shortened layout of the Formula 1 circuit around the Hard Rock Stadium. With a length of 2.32 kilometers, lap times were already well under a minute in the first free practice session. DS Penske’s top driver Maximilian Günther pointed out the special challenges early on:
“We already know this from Berlin, and it makes everything even tighter. The shorter the lap, the smaller the gaps. The biggest challenge will be getting the tires up to temperature, especially in these cool conditions. That will make qualifying difficult. In addition, the groups only last ten minutes instead of twelve like last year, so we have to attack right away.”
Strong times in first practice
Regardless, the two DS E Tense FE25s driven by Taylor Barnard and Günther showed solid pace in the first practice session and were consistently in the top 10. The team used several pit stops to test different tire configurations for qualifying. At the end of an uneventful session, Barnard set the second-fastest time, missing the day’s best by less than a tenth of a second.
The following day, conditions changed again. The sun came out, but dark clouds remained. In practice, 19 of the 20 cars were within seven tenths of a second of each other. The pace picked up significantly towards the end of the session. Barnard set the fastest time of 55.531 seconds and was the fastest in all three sectors. The Briton thus underlined his consistency and made it clear that the smallest details would decide pole position in qualifying.
The championship standings meant that Barnard and Günther had to compete together in the second qualifying group.
With only four drivers per group advancing to the quarterfinals, the starting position was challenging. Both DS Penske drivers initially chose a controlled pace and stayed in the top 4 to wait for the optimal moment for a fast lap.
DS Penske heads home without any points
Barnard ultimately set the fastest time in his group and advanced with ease. Günther, on the other hand, missed out on the quarterfinals by just six thousandths of a second. In his first duel, Barnard then failed to advance to the semifinals by one thousandth of a second. He started the race from fifth position, while Günther lined up five places behind him.
Shortly before the race, it started raining again. On the starting grid, the teams made last-minute changes to the chassis, with some betting on the track drying quickly. The race started after four laps behind the safety car. Barnard initially remained in the top 10, while Günther got stuck in traffic and lost several positions. The German had opted for a setup for dry conditions and had to slow down as the rain was heavier than expected. With 39 laps remaining, the first attack modes caused shifts in the field. Barnard initially remained patient in the midfield and saved energy for the second half of the race. By the time he attacked, many of his rivals had already used up their energy reserves. The Briton took advantage of the four-wheel drive of his DS E Tense FE25 in Attack Mode, but was unable to climb higher than 14th place. Günther finished the race five places behind him.
The next round of the Forme E World Championship will take place in Jeddah in mid-February. Two races are scheduled in Saudi Arabia on February 13 and 14.