Formula E: Mixed results for Citroën Racing in Jeddah’s first night double-header

This weekend marked a historic and highly anticipated milestone in the new Formula E season. For the very first time, the World Championship for electric single-seaters headed to Saudi Arabia for a double E-Prix held entirely at night on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Under the powerful floodlights lining the Red Sea, drivers had to master a fast, technical, and unforgiving track. For the Citroën Racing team, this Saudi event proved to be a weekend of two distinct halves: while Round 4 on Friday brought in solid points, Round 5 on Saturday left a sense of unfinished business despite showing great competitive spirit.

Race 1: a strategic masterclass by Nick Cassidy

The fourth round of the season, held on Friday, February 13th, highlighted the French team's tactical prowess and ability to adapt. In a race featuring the introduction of Pit Boost and a unique six-minute Attack Mode format, energy management became the ultimate deciding factor.

Starting from a modest 13th position on the grid, Nick Cassidy delivered one of the standout performances of the evening. Thanks to perfect execution and a late activation of his extra power, the New Zealander managed to climb up to 6th place. This surgical management of his resources allowed him to overtake several rivals in the final laps, securing vital points for the Drivers' Championship.

On the other side of the garage, Jean-Éric Vergne celebrated a symbolic milestone: his 150th start in the series. Despite a technical issue affecting his energy data transmission, the double French champion showed impressive resilience. Starting 8th, he crossed the finish line in the same position, ensuring a double top-10 finish for Citroën Racing.

Cyril Blais, Team Principal, was pleased with the start: “It was a positive race. Nick put in a great performance. For the first race with Pit Boost, strategy was key, and we handled it well.” Nick Cassidy remained realistic, however: “We were efficient, but we are still lacking a bit of pure pace compared to our direct competitors.” Jean-Éric Vergne highlighted the difficulty of driving "blind" due to his technical glitches, while being happy to salvage important points.

Race 2: strategic challenges and a frustrating outcome

The following day, for Round 5, optimism was high following excellent qualifying sessions for both Citroën drivers. By placing Jean-Éric Vergne in 5th and Nick Cassidy in 8th on the grid, the team seemed ideally positioned to challenge for a podium. Unfortunately, the reality of the night race was quite different.

On a Jeddah track where the margin for error is near zero, the race strategy did not yield the expected results. Although Jean-Éric Vergne was in the leading pack during the first half of the race, his podium hopes faded during the Attack Mode activation phases. Despite a car he felt was more competitive than the previous day, the Frenchman had to settle for 9th place.

For Nick Cassidy, the evening was far more complicated. Embroiled in heavy battles in the heart of the pack, the Kiwi suffered from dense traffic and an energy strategy that left him vulnerable in the closing laps. He ultimately finished in a disappointing 16th position.

Cyril Blais did not hide his disappointment: “We did not optimize our strategy. Starting P5 and P8, we had the potential for big points. It’s a frustrating result because the intrinsic performance was there.” Jean-Éric Vergne echoed this sentiment, noting that while the car's balance had significantly improved, collective execution failed to maximize that potential. “We must set higher standards for ourselves,” he concluded with determination.

Turning potential into success for the rest of the season

This double-header in Jeddah may not have gone perfectly for Citroën Racing, despite Nick Cassidy’s superb comeback on the first night. The contrast between the two races perfectly illustrates the complexity of Formula E, a discipline where the hierarchy is constantly challenged and where yesterday's leaders are never guaranteed success tomorrow.

However, the outlook remains encouraging. Citroën is showing a solid level of performance, capable of challenging for the top spots in qualifying and shining through its energy management in races. The team has proven it has the tools to fight at the highest level. With the lessons learned from this Saudi weekend, the "Reds" can approach the upcoming rounds with optimism. The path to new victories is clear, and only a few strategic adjustments are needed for the potential glimpsed in Jeddah to turn into regular podiums.