Yahoo Autos Stoffel Vandoorne Cruises to Formula E Season Championship
Stoffel Vandoorne and the Mercedes EQ Race Team wrapped up the Drivers' and Teams' Championships in the ABB FIA Formula E series with a second-place race finish on Sunday in Seoul.
Edoardo Mortara won the final race of the ABB FIA Formula E season.
Lucas di Grassi became the first Formula E driver to compete in 100 races in the series.
Stoffel Vandoorne finished second in the Hana Bank Seoul E-Prix on Sunday, and that proved to be more than good enough for the former McLaren Formula 1 driver to secure his first ABB FIA Formula E championship.
Vandoorne, racing for the Mercedes EQ Race Team, came into the finale with a comfortable 21-point lead over series runner-up Mitch Evans. Evans won the first leg of the weekend doubleheader in South Korea on Saturday to remain in the hunt. Evan needed a win on Sunday and nearly a complete collapse from Vandoorne to make up the difference.
Evans finished seventh in the finale and 33 points back of Vandoorne for the championship of Season 8 of the all-electric open-wheel series.
The race was the final contest for the Gen 2 cars in the series.
Evans won a series-best four races this season, while the Vandoorne won just once, that being in Monaco.
Formula E Champions
2022 - Stoffel Vandoorne
2021 - Nyck de Vries
2020 - Antonio Felix da Costa
2019 - Jean-Eric Vergne
2018 - Jean-Eric Vergne
2017 - Lucas di Grassi
2016 - Sebastien Buemi
2015 - Nelson Piquet Jr.
Edoardo Mortora won Sunday's race and finished third in the championship behind Vandoorne and Evans. Jake Dennis was second across the line on Sunday, but was classified in third after being assessed a five-second penalty by race officials following contact with with pole sitter Antonio Felix da Costa early in the race.
CLICK HERE FOR SUNDAY'S COMPLETE RACE RESULTS
“World Champions. Wow! It's just the best feeling ever," Vandoorne said. "Just look at the season we've had. The consistency and the car has been amazing, and the team has done an incredible job. I think every single one of us deserves it. What we've accomplished is something special.
"Mitch has pushed me all the way along—the same with Edo—they were there all the time. It was really about the consistency in the end, they all have more wins than me, but I have the most podiums I think. It was difficult to focus because the pace at the end was so high, I knew Jake had a five-second penalty, so I had to stay close enough to him to secure P2. It was an awesome day, a lot of concentration. I am drained after this year, it has been a lot of effort, the effort I have put in and the team has put in—it is incredible."
Looking Ahead to 2023
The series promises a record 18 races in 13 cities next season.
The season begins on January 14 in Mexico City and continues in Diriyah, Hyderabad, São Paulo, Berlin, Monaco, Seoul, Jakarta, Rome and London. Three E-Prix host cities will be announced later this year, while Hyderabad in India, and São Paulo are both debut venues. The United States is expected to get one of the three "to be announced" races.
Season 9 will also feature entries from McLaren Racing and Maserati. McLaren is replacing the Mercedes EQ team.
