DS Automobiles Scores Top-Five Finish in Sanya Formula E Round 11
Maximilian Günther finished fifth and Taylor Barnard ninth in the Sanya ePrix, recovering from low grid positions with strong strategy and energy management.
- 5th place
- 9th place
- 148
- 18
What Happened
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship returned to Sanya, China, for round 11 on June 20. DS Automobiles drivers Maximilian Günther and Taylor Barnard fought back from low grid positions with clever energy management and strategy. Günther, starting 19th due to a penalty, climbed to sixth and was later promoted to fifth after a rival's penalty. Barnard, also penalized in qualifying, finished ninth from 15th on the grid despite losing Attack Mode time during a Full Course Yellow.
“Finishing fifth is clearly a great result for us. This excellent points haul is very good for our morale, because it was a truly difficult weekend. I was lacking pace and confidence with the car. On top of that, it was always going to be a complicated race from 19th on the grid. But we made up for that with an excellent strategy, great energy management, and some decisive attacks towards the end.”
“I’m feeling a bit frustrated to finish ninth as we could have got a much better result and finished on the podium. The strategy put in place by the team was really good. We were just a bit unlucky in losing four minutes of Attack Mode due to a Full Course Yellow. Now we’re going to focus on the next races and hope to find the success that eluded us this weekend.”
With both DS E-TENSE FE25 cars in the points, DS Automobiles and Penske Autosport underlined their quest for top results. The team is now fully focused on the next two rounds of the championship on July 4-5 in Shanghai.
148 races, 4 titles, 18 wins, 55 podiums, 26 pole positions
Key milestones achieved by DS Automobiles in the all-electric championship.
Previously from DS Automobiles
DS Automobiles returned to Sanya aiming to replicate its 2019 victory, which was the brand's first Formula E win in China (prior coverage). The team will next compete in Shanghai, where it is set to contest its 150th Formula E race (prior coverage).
- DS Automobiles Returns to Sanya for Formula E Round 11, Site of 2019 Victory
- DS Automobiles to contest its 150th Formula E race at Shanghai E-Prix
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of DS Automobiles's official releases.
Why this matters
This strong result boosts DS Automobiles' morale ahead of the next rounds in Shanghai, where the team aims to build on its competitive form. The race highlights the importance of energy management and strategy in Formula E, key factors for newcomers to understand.
Terms in This Story
- Attack Mode
- A power boost mechanism in Formula E activated by driving through a specific zone, giving extra power for a limited time.
- Full Course Yellow
- A race procedure where all drivers must slow down and no overtaking is allowed due to an incident on track.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.