FORMULA E: DS AUTOMOBILES FINISHES FIFTH IN THE TEAMS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

• DS Automobiles endured a frustrating weekend in London to close out Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
• Starting second on the grid, Maximilian Günther finished the season with a seventh-place finish, while his teammate Jean-Éric Vergne ended up 15th in the final race
• The DS PENSKE squad concludes the championship in the top five in the teams’ standings, while Jean-Éric Vergne took sixth and Maximilian Günther was 10th in the final drivers’ rankings

Just over seven months after the championship began in São Paulo, the EXCEL exhibition centre in London – split between indoor and outdoor sections – hosted this weekend’s final two races of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The London E-Prix concluded the 16-race 11th season of the all-electric single-seater series, which allows manufacturers to continuously develop technologies that will be used on electrified vehicles in the near future.

Throughout the season, the DS Automobiles engineers, mechanics, and drivers gave their all in the face of increasingly fierce competition. Arriving in the British capital with third place in the teams’ standings, DS Automobiles and its partner PENSKE AUTOSPORT had the firm aim of holding onto the bronze medal this season. But luck was not on the team’s side during a very eventful double-header packed with racing incidents and unexpected twists.

Sunday started well with Maximilian Günther securing second place on the starting grid: a clear sign of the elevated performance of the DS E-TENSE FE25 developed by the French premium manufacturer.

The German driver was especially unlucky on Saturday, when he was pushed into the wall on the first lap, and this time at least managed to reach the finish. Unfortunately, he lost out significantly when the race was neutralised just after he had activated each of his two Attack Modes. A full course yellow during the first attack mode, then a safety car during the second, prevented him from taking advantage of the additional performance – which delivers more power and four-wheel drive – that this mode offers. As a result, Maximilian had to settle for seventh place at the finish.

After a brilliant comeback from 15th to fifth on Saturday, Jean-Éric Vergne was unable to repeat the feat on Sunday. Starting from 13th on the grid, the Frenchman eventually finished 15th after receiving a penalty near the end of the race.

As a result, the DS PENSKE team finishes fifth in the teams’ standings this season. In the drivers’ championship, Jean-Éric Vergne sealed sixth, with two podium finishes. Despite delivering two wins and two pole positions for the team in his first season as a DS Automobiles driver, Maximilian Günther ended the series in 10th place.

All eyes now turn to Season 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which will kick off with official testing on October 27 in Valencia, before the first race on December 6 in São Paulo. With 18 races – a new record – and a fascinating mix of new destinations and classic venues, the 2025–2026 championship promises to be a thrilling one.

Eugenio Franzetti, DS Performance Director:

"It was another tough race today. As is often the case on this unusual track, it was characterised by several collisions and incidents. Luck really was not on Max’s side today. Twice, the race was neutralised – firstly by a full course Yellow, then by a Safety Car – just as he had activated his attack mode. That meant he couldn’t’t benefit from the extra power. JEV fought hard, but unfortunately received a penalty that cost him valuable points. Those points were essential for keeping fourth place in the championship, which slipped away at the last gasp. A big thank you to the entire team for their commitment, quality, and expertise. We will come back stronger next year!"

Maximilian Günther:

“The day started really well with second place on the grid. Unfortunately, two things compromised our race today. Firstly, I had to battle with understeer, which was affecting me a lot. I tried everything to correct it, but nothing doing. When the car isn’t perfectly balanced, not only do you go slower, but you also use more energy. Then, having my two attack modes ruined by the pair of neutralisations really complicated matters. I did everything I could, finishing in seventh place and scoring points, but we were clearly hoping to do much better to conclude the season.”

Jean-Éric Vergne, 2018 and 2019 Formula E champion:

“It was a tough day. I simply didn’t have the pace I wanted, and even though I tried to hold off my rivals, it’s very difficult when you’re just not as fast as them. It’s not the way I wanted to end this championship… We will take time over the summer to analyse everything and, above all, to prepare properly so we can come back stronger next season.”

Key figures since DS Automobiles entered Formula E:

• 137 races
• 4 championship titles
• 18 victories
• 55 podiums
• 26 pole positions

PRESS CONTACTS

DS Performance : Nathalie Dumas  +33 (0) 6 60 26 10 37 –nathalie.dumas@external.stellantis.com

DS Automobiles : Benjamin Maigre  + 33 (0) 6 75 58 80 41 – benjamin.maigre@dsautomobiles.com