DS AUTOMOBILES AND MAXIMILIAN GÜNTHER SECURE POLE POSITION AND A SPECTACULAR VICTORY IN JEDDAH!

• Thanks to Maximilian Günther, DS Automobiles claimed its first victory of the year in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
• The third round of the season, held in Jeddah, was decided at the final chicane
• By finishing sixth, Jean-Éric Vergne also secured valuable points for the DS PENSKE team

For the first time, Jeddah is hosting the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship this weekend for the third and fourth races of Season 11. And history will also record that it was in Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city that Maximilian Günther clinched his first victory with DS Automobiles on Friday night! Starting from pole position, the German driver secured a dramatic win by reclaiming the lead in the final chicane, just a few hundred metres from the finish line.

The intensity of the battle between the electric single-seaters was evident recently right from qualifying, with eight different teams making it to the final stage. While Jean-Éric Vergne finished fifth in his group, missing out on a qualifying spot by less than a tenth of a second, Maximilian Günther put together a flawless run to the final, securing his first pole position with DS Automobiles—the 25th for the premium French manufacturer.

When the lights went out, Max maintained a front-running position until mid-race, when all competitors took their turns for the all-new PIT BOOST. This ultra-fast recharge is a new feature in Formula E this season: a 600 kW charge for 30 seconds allows the cars to take on an extra 3.85 kWh, adding 10% more energy. This is yet another example of how the FIA and Formula E continue to push the development of electric mobility on every level.

Despite losing a few positions during his pit stop, Maximilian Günther quickly fought back, closing the gap to leader and overtaking him just a few hundred metres before the finish. In addition to taking pole position and the victory, the new DS Automobiles driver also set the fastest lap of the race, confirming both his dominance and that of the DS E-TENSE FE25 in Saudi Arabia. As a result, he scored the maximum 29 points and moved up to third place in the World Championship standings.

Starting from 10th on the grid, Jean-Éric Vergne also delivered a solid race. The Frenchman climbed up to sixth place, scoring points for the third time in as many races. The combined performances of both drivers helped DS PENSKE to reclaim second place in the Teams’ standings.

The fourth race of the season is scheduled for Saturday at 20:00 local time (18:00 CET). The DS Automobiles drivers will be aiming for another strong performance in this second showdown of the weekend!

Eugenio Franzetti, DS Performance director :

"It was truly a perfect race. When you take pole position, win the race, and set the fastest lap, you really can't ask for more! I want to congratulate Max and the entire team for the incredible work they put in ahead of this race. In the first two rounds, we understood our potential but were penalised by incidents. Today, everything went perfectly! The immense talent of our team and driver allowed us to achieve a memorable result. JEV also had a strong race, climbing from P10 to P6. Overall, we collected a lot of points for DS PENSKE, which is now second in the standings. Tomorrow, we’ll be back on track, aiming for another solid race."

Maximilian Günther:

"It was an amazing day for us. I’m very proud and happy to take this victory—my first with the team. The men and women working behind the scenes truly deserve it! They’ve done an incredible job over the past few weeks, and there’s so much talent in this team. I love working with them! We work hard, and to be rewarded with a win in just our third race together is fantastic. It wasn’t an easy race, but we fought back to take the victory. And we did it in style—with pole position, the win, and the fastest lap. That makes me really proud."

Jean-Éric Vergne, 2018 and 2019 Formula E World Champion:

"It was a great race for the whole team, and first of all, I want to congratulate Max on his victory. As for me, I moved up from 10th to sixth, and I don’t think I could have hoped for much more. Unfortunately, I lost quite a bit of time due to several incidents happening in front of me, which dropped me out of the leading group. Nevertheless, we learned a lot, and I scored more important points in the championship. Tomorrow, the goal will be to do even better.”

Key figures since DS Automobiles entered Formula E:

• 124 races
• 4 championship titles
• 17 victories
• 52 podiums
• 25 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