A masterclass in energy management saw Maximillian Guenther seize the lead from under Nick Cassidy’s and Jean-Eric Vergne’s noses, as the BMW i Andretti driver took victory on home soil for the American outfit.
Vergne was forced to settle for second after his battle with Cassidy for the race lead cost the DS Techeetah driver any chance of victory, as it ultimately allowed Guenther to slip up past the duelling pair. Lucas di Grassi completed the podium in third for Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler.
The race looked to be Cassidy’s to lose, with the Envision Virgin driver holding P1 up until the final seven minutes of the race despite a lack of useable energy compared to those around him and an ever diminishing gap.
Vergne was hot on the Kiwi’s heels, attempting several overtaking manoeuvres throughout the Brooklyn Street Circuit. However, the Frenchman appeared to get the job done at the Turn 10 hairpin, yet a lack of steering lock saw the pair bang wheels and go wide.
Guenther, who had started fourth on the grid, then seized the golden opportunity and dived up the inside to snatch the lead. His efforts were helped by the fact he had remained out of trouble throughout the race and perfected his energy management strategy to build up an additional 1-2% compared to those around him.
Yet as Vergne attempted to catch up with him, there was nothing the two-time champion could do as Guenther’s energy advantage saw him sail away with a 2-second lead by the chequered flag.
After starting on pole and leading the majority of the race, Cassidy brought home a double points finish for Envision Virgin. His teammate Robin Frijns finished less than a second behind him in fifth. The Dutchman charged his way through the pack following the full course yellow in the latter half of the race, which was deployed as Mitch Evans came to a halt at Turn 2.
Nissan e.dams also brought home a double points finish with Sebastien Buemi and Oliver Rowland in sixth and seventh, respectively, and ahead of Porsche’s Andre Lotterer.
Sam Bird’s day ended on a more positive note. The Brit crashed in FP1, was forced to miss FP2 due to a chassis change and then had set up issues during Qualifying. Nevertheless, the Jaguar driver fought his way from 20th to ninth at the chequered flag and clocked in the fastest lap along the way.
Rene Rast rounded out the points finishers in tenth, as Mahindra’s Alexander Lynn missed out on points. Lynn had looked set to claim a solid haul of points from third on the grid.
Yet the British driver was on the back foot from the start, as his attempt to pass Vergne at Turn 1 of the opening lap saw him lock up and drop to fifth. His luck only appeared to get worse as he was spun around by Pascal Wehrlein when the Porsche tried to take Attack Mode and dropped back further following battles with Rowland and Jake Dennis.
Championship leader Edoardo Mortara finished in 14th after starting at the back of the grid due to a power issue during Qualifying.
It was another difficult day on track for Mercedes EQ. Nyck de Vries was caught up in a concertina effect at Turn 10 on the opening lap and was able to finish in 13th despite losing some bodywork. Meanwhile, Stoffel Vandoorne was forced to retire in the final few minutes of the race following damage to his car.
[motorsport_result id=’68075′]
