Nyck de Vries seemed on track for a victory in the Formula E in Jakarta on Saturday, or at least a podium finish. However, the Dutchman dropped out after receiving a time penalty shortly before. Robin Frijns stayed out of trouble and was rewarded with points: ninth place. The victory went to Dan Ticktum.
Up until halfway through the race, the ePrix in Indonesia proceeded without many issues. But a battle between leader Jake Dennis and second-place De Vries kicked things off. The Dutchman caused damage to Dennis’s front wing during an overtaking maneuver. This resulted in a hefty ten-second time penalty, as De Vries was deemed by the race officials to have returned to his line too quickly and recklessly. The collision was the climax of a thrilling battle and the start of a series of incidents.
Within a few laps, for instance, both Maseratis dropped out, partly due to a significant crash by Stoffel Vandoorne. Not long after the Belgian’s crash, it was De Vries who had to slowly drive towards the pits in Jakarta. There, due to technical issues, his race came to an end.
Frijns, who started in the backfield, was one of the men who benefited. He drove a flawless race and was rewarded with a fine finish in the points: the Envision driver came in ninth. The victory in Jakarta surprisingly went to Dan Ticktum. In the Kira Cupra car, the Englishman beat De Vries’ Mahindra teammate Edoardo Mortara.
Oliver Rowland remains the championship leader, even though he only finished tenth. De Vries and Frijns are not yet playing a role in the title fight, as they are in the middle of the pack.
