Vergne is the Winner for 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix

With its all-electric vehicle race on the street circuit here, the much-anticipated Formula E made its big debut in India. Jean-Eric Vergne of team DS PENSKE cars won the 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix Round 4 after an action-packed qualifying session and the 32-lap final race.

Vergne defeats Cassidy to be the winner of the Hyderabad E-Prix

With various incidents out front, Vergne took the lead, while Envision Racing's Cassidy advanced seven places to second. However, Cassidy had more energy in reserve than Vergne.

This set the mood for a nervous few laps, as Vergne entered the final lap with only 1% of his energy remaining. He held off Cassidy and crossed the line with just enough energy to give DS Penske its first win of the season.

"It feels pretty fantastic," Vergne exclaimed. "Last year, I had a lot of podiums, but no wins. So it had been a while since I had not won; it was necessary to return to triumph.”

"I truly felt Cassidy was going to pass me and I was battling my best” revealed the former Formula E champion. So I wanted to stay within the bounds, but when the safety car arrived, it moved my objective slightly, making it a little simpler. Despite having three to four per cent more energy than Nick, I could still lift in a position that allowed me to block successfully.”

With SebastienBuemi finishing third on track, Envision almost had two drivers on the podium. However, he received a drive-through penalty for a power violation, which was translated into a 17-second time penalty after the race. This knocked him from third to fifteenth in the final standings.

Buemi's penalty moved Antonio Felix da Costa up to the third place, giving the Porsche driver a podium result in his 100th Formula E race.

Jaguar suffers a setback

Jaguar TCS Racing appeared to have a strong advantage on the new course as the Hyderabad E-Prix sessions progressed. That was reinforced when Mitch Evans took the team's pole position.

However, something went wrong during the race. Evans slipped a few positions after Jaguar chose to activate Attack Mode early. A few laps later, Sam Bird attempted an inside move at the hairpin and collided with Evans.

For the manufacturer, the Hyderabad E-Prix will be a race of squandered opportunities. The two Jaguar-powered Envision Racing cars set a fast pace, highlighting their potential even more.

Mahindra scores points

Mahindra Racing finished in the points in their first home race. Oliver Rowland finished sixth despite driving the final few laps with front wing damage.

Lucas di Grassi finished 14th following a five-second time penalty for breaching track limitations.

Wehrlein maintains his title lead

Porsche arrived in India after winning the previous two rounds. While they could not extend their winning streak in Hyderabad, Pascal Wehrlein's fourth-place finish was sufficient for him to retain the championship lead with 80 points.

Jake Dennis of Andretti Autosport is second overall with 62 points, while Vergne has jumped to third overall with 31 points, level with Buemi.

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