Maximilian Günther secured victory in the first-ever Jeddah E-Prix, which also marked the debut of PitBoost in Formula E.
The German driver claimed the win after a dramatic final-lap overtake on Oliver Rowland at the last chicane. Rowland, struggling with energy management in the closing stages, was unable to defend against the DS Penske driver.
A Rollercoaster Race for Günther
Starting from pole position, the 27-year-old made a strong getaway and built a two-second lead in the early stages. However, he suffered from high energy consumption, which forced him to drop back into the pack.
Unlike his rivals, Günther chose not to activate his first Attack Mode before the PitBoost window, meaning he fell to eighth after pitting on lap 16. His pit stop was also slow, causing him to lose out to Nyck de Vries, who pitted on the same lap.
Despite this setback, Günther had an advantage—two Attack Modes remaining, while most of his competitors had just one. This allowed him to carve his way back through the field, climbing up to third place.
With a two-second gap to de Vries, Günther gradually closed in. Both drivers activated their second Attack Mode simultaneously, but Günther had 2% more usable energy, enabling him to pass de Vries with ease and move into second.
From there, he set his sights on Rowland, who was struggling with energy. On the final lap, Günther executed a decisive overtake at the last chicane, securing a dramatic victory.
Podium and Top Finishers
Rowland managed to hold onto second place by coasting over the line, while Taylor Barnard converted his fourth-place starting position into a podium finish in third. The 20-year-old has now claimed two podiums in the opening three races of the season.
Nyck de Vries finished fourth for Mahindra after running as high as second but ultimately lacked the pace to defend his position. Jake Hughes took fifth for Maserati, despite struggling with energy management throughout the race.
Jean-Éric Vergne finished sixth for DS Penske. The two-time Formula E champion executed a well-timed pit strategy, pitting later than his rivals, which helped him jump from tenth to sixth.
Edoardo Mortara impressed with a charge from the back of the grid to finish seventh, having been unable to set a qualifying lap due to a technical issue.
Sam Bird recovered from a first-lap spin to take eighth for McLaren, while Antonio Félix da Costa, despite sustaining damage to his Porsche, managed to finish ninth. Stoffel Vandoorne rounded out the points in tenth for Maserati.
Chaotic Start and Retirements
The race began with a flurry of incidents. Sam Bird was spun around at the start and dropped to the back of the grid. Mitch Evans hit Pascal Wehrlein, causing a puncture for the reigning world champion. Evans then collided with Nyck de Vries, breaking his front wing and forcing him to pit on lap five for repairs.
Evans was later handed a five-second time penalty for his crash with Wehrlein. He eventually finished a lap down in 20th, the last classified driver.
Nico Müller was the race’s first retirement after misjudging his braking at Turn 8, crashing into the back of António Félix da Costa and damaging his rear wing. Müller returned to the pits to retire.
Da Costa’s damaged wing detached completely on lap 6 at Turn 13, bringing out the safety car to clear the debris.
Jake Dennis was the only other retirement, with the Season Nine champion pulling into the pits with four laps remaining.
An Unconventional Formula E Race
This race was unique compared to traditional Formula E events. The introduction of PitBoost, which allowed drivers to recharge 10% of their battery, reduced the usual energy-saving tactics and led to larger gaps between competitors.
Despite the strategic changes, Günther managed his energy efficiently and executed a perfect late-race charge to claim victory in the first-ever Jeddah E-Prix.
