How Abt: Mexican Win For Audi Man

The German broke his Formula E duck in Mexico City.

- Alex Kalinauckas

One hop, one step – one car to another. Belts done up, Daniel Abt was out in a flash. Out of the pits, out in the lead of the Mexico City ePrix, and on his way to the glory of a first Formula E victory.

After being heartbreakingly denied a maiden win in Hong Kong on his 25th birthday last December due to a technical passport infringement, Abt kept the trophy for good and rescued a dismal start to Audi’s first season as a works FE manufacturer.

Starting fifth, Abt immediately seized fourth around the outside of Antonio Felix da Costa at Turn 1, and set off in pursuit of polesitter Felix Rosenqvist, NIO’s Oliver Turvey and 2015/16 FE champion Sebastien Buemi. His rise to victory was aided by two slices of fortune – first Rosenqvist dropped out of a secure lead at one-third distance with battery failure, and then Buemi made a mistake at the first corner on lap 21 of 47. The Renault e.dams driver slid wide and Abt steamed through.

Abt closed on Turvey, who had been looking good after gapping Buemi early on at the scene of his first FE pole one year ago – a race that was ended by a technical failure while he led – before he struggled with energy management in the final laps of the stint.