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Jay Penske in a black DS Penske shirt and sunglasses stands beside Jean-Eric Vergne, who wears a black DS Penske race suit and has a confetti canon which has just been set off.

Vergne and DS still looking for improvements after Hyderabad victory

Jean-Eric Vergne secured DS Penske’s first win of the 2022-23 Formula E season, but the team is still seeking “a lot of improvement”.

DS were one of the most impressive teams in preseason testing but haven’t quite been able to match the performance on race day, with only one points finish from the first three races of the season.  

Both Vergne and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne were happy to see the step forward in Hyderabad, but believe there is plenty more performance to find. 

“I am obviously very happy with this victory! It’s great for the team to get back to the top after three tough races, and to come back to everyone with a win after working so hard on our understanding of the car,” Vergne said. “Clearly, we have made good progress. 

“We have to keep up this momentum but, to tell you the truth, I’m quite confident because I think we still have a lot of room for improvement. It’s up to us to keep working hard to get more results like this!” 

Vergne qualified second for the inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix, having faced nobody in the qualifying semi-final duel due to track limit violations for the other competitors.  

During the race, Vergne briefly dropped back behind Sebastien Buemi, but soon came back through to take the lead of the race. 

Vergne was on the limit with energy in the closing stages of the race and crossed the line with none remaining. 

Meanwhile, team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne was recovering from a disappointing qualifying and climbed up to P6. He was one of a number of drivers caught out by track limit violations, and was dropped back to P8 on the corrected timings. 

Vandoorne was also pleased with the performance, but emphasized the need for improvement. 

“All in all, we can speak of a good comeback from 17th place on the grid,” he said. “We must nevertheless continue to progress because we lack regularity. Sometimes we are completely in on it, sometimes not so much.  

“We have to work particularly hard on our qualifying practice because it would obviously make our life easier if we were better placed on the starting grid. In racing, we have proven since the start of the year that we have a good rhythm and that our energy management is good. But even if the car is performing well, it is difficult to aim for the podium starting from such a distance, especially since overtaking is more complicated this year. 

“In any case, it’s a very good day for the team with this victory for Jev and, after the complicated start to the season, it’s really deserved for all those who work hard behind the scenes. We have taken important points, but there is no question of slackening our efforts!” 

DS now lies sixth in the teams’ standings, just six points behind Jaguar Racing. 

Bethonie Waring

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