Stoffel Vandoorne rode in second place throughout race 1 in London and highlighted Jake Dennis' intelligence as the reason for not attacking his rival for the win
Stoffel Vandoorne didn't win race 1 of the eP London on Saturday, but he certainly left the ExCel Arena with a big smile on his face after securing second place and seeing his lead at the top of Formula E increase to 26 points. The Belgian stayed behind winner Jake Dennis throughout the race, but avoided putting himself in a dangerous position and preferred to take home the 18 points.
After the race, Vandoorne was keen to congratulate Dennis, who showed impeccable pace both in qualifying and in the race, and recorded pole, fastest lap, and victory on the same day. About his own race, Stoffel revealed that he intended to attack the Briton for first position, but could not find gaps to try any movement.
"It was a good day. I finished second, congratulations to Jake [Dennis], he had a great day," Vandoorne praised. "He was fast from the free practice sessions and ran a very smart race. For us, we had no way to respond. I tried to stay as close to him as possible, but in the end it was not enough to try an attack. Tomorrow we'll have another chance," he said.
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When asked if he planned to use Fan Boost to try to overtake him, Vandoorne again stated that he did not find any gaps to try to pass the leader. The Belgian even tightened his pace in the final part of the race and caught up with the Andretti driver, but he didn't try to overtake and kept the second place.
"I just didn't have a chance," acknowledged Vandoorne, who now sees Mitch Evans as his closest pursuer in the championship. "I was close, but I had no way past him. There's nothing to say, Jake drove an excellent race," concluded the championship leader.
The second race of the Formula E weekend in London happens this Sunday (31st), also starting at 11am (Brasília time), with live broadcasting on TV Cultura and SporTV 3. Before that, the category will hold the second qualifying session starting at 6:40 am.