Yahoo Autos Jaguar edges Porsche to Formula E Manufacturers’ Trophy after da Costa penalty in London
Porsche lost the Formula E Manufacturers’ Trophy following a post-race penalty for Antonio Felix da Costa.
The German manufacturer – represented by the TAG Heuer Porsche factory team and customer outfit Andretti – clinched the title, which was newly-introduced this season, at Sunday’s finale in London.
However, in the hours after the conclusion of the second London E-Prix race, da Costa was handed a 5s penalty for hitting Nick Cassidy. The penalty dropped da Costa from fifth to 13th and out of the points. The collision ultimately cost the New Zealander a chance at winning the Drivers’ championship, but ironically ended up clinching the Manufacturers’ crown for Jaguar. The championship implications of the collision were not considered in the decision making process, though.
“During the hearing, the driver of car No. 13 (da Costa) was very contrite and the driver of car No. 37, was gracious,” read a steward’s statement. “Both the competitors and teams acted in a very professional manner. Both competitors were clear that they wanted the incident decided as a single incident, not taking into account the surrounding context of the final round.”
Factory team Jaguar TCS Racing had already been declared Teams’ champion following the conclusion of Sunday’s race, with Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein claiming the Drivers’ title. The revision means that Jaguar edges Porsche in the Manufacturers’ standings by a slender four points.
