A new series of Formula E’s ‘Flashback’ documentary series has dropped this month with a look at the period between 2018 and 2021.
A range of Formula E personalities from Antonio Felix da Costa, Lucas di Grassi, Jean-Eric Vergne, Mitch Evans, James Barclay, Nicki Shields, Mark Preston and Formula E Notebook’s founder Sam Smith give added insight in to some of the all-electric series’ most dramatic moments.
The documentary style gives some great revisionist appraisals of the action and also swings some fresh angles on Formula E’s biggest characters and rivalries.
Here are five key talking points from the series, which can be viewed on Roku TV and TNT Sports.
Da Costa and Vergne, Santiago Flare-Up
January 2020 was a funny old time in Formula E. Clashes on the streets of Santiago had put the fourth round of the 2019-20 championship in to some doubt, and while the tear-gas permeated the air, on-track things were almost as volatile.
A thrilling race for the chequered flag between eventual first-time winner Maximilian Guenther and DS Techeetah new boy Antonio Felix da Costa was only part of the drama.
The most coruscating sub-plot was between da Costa and reigning champion Vergne, who was in no mood for charity towards his new stablemate. That manifested in a frankly ridiculous situation of Vergne deliberately holding up da Costa in a crocked car at a vital time of the race.
Despite the clear message from his engineer to pit the car, Vergne continued and effectively screwed da Costa’s slam-dunk chance of a win.
“This is the first and last time I let JEV past,” fumed da Costa, who flourished the words with the raising of his middle finger to Vergne as his past the smoking car.
Also revealing is da Costa’s rationalisation of his split from BMW, which is evidenced by a discrepancy in mentality at the time between the Portuguese star and the Bavarian manufacturer.
The manifestation of da Costa’s dissatisfaction came at Le Mans in 2018 when after numerous issues the two BMWs crossed the finish line in the lower reaches of the classification.
“The whole team celebrated just to finish the race (Le Mans), started having beers and it looked like we’d won that race,” said da Costa.
That wasn’t compatible for da Costa and it helped trigger a look around the paddock. What he saw was the shiny gold of DS Techeetah and a chance to fight for a title.
Di Grassi’s Bitter Bern
Hell, hath no fury like a Brazilian polymath scorned!
Bern is June 2019 was a memorable event off the track as it was the weekend that Andre Lotterer finally decided to move to Porsche, opening up the way for Antonio Felix da Costa to buy his way out of his BMW commitments to join future foe Vergne at DS Techeetah.
But on the track the title fight between Vergne and di Grassi was hotting up. It was cooled considerably after a horrible qualifying session for the latter, while the former took pole and looked set for what would be a probable title circuit breaker over the Audi driver.
The Bern track was certainly quirky as it ducked and weaved through the beautiful Swiss capital, but it was a nightmare to construct and actually put on. This would clearly be a one off event and the fact that a tight chicane was decided upon immediately after the start straight felt like a carnage magnet.
And so, it proved as Alex Lynn’s Jaguar and Robin Frijns’ Envision touched within metres of the start and triggered a ten car melee.
Some drivers by-passed the wreckage and were able to make up considerable positions as the delayed drivers either got going again or vacated their damaged cars. With the race red flagged, it wasn’t long before di Grassi led a militant charge to race control to protest about the race director re-starting the race afresh, as per original grid.
Di Grassi protested furiously with officials, including future F1 race director Niels Wittich. While he did morally have a point, the fact was that it was at the race director’s discretion how and in what order the race was re-started
Six years on though and di Grassi was still up for a rant over the whole episode. Never change Lucas!
McNish Goes Ape
Lucas di Grassi just kept on adding to his own personal series of ‘Miracles in Mexico’, even against all odds with a Mahindra in 2023.
But in 2019 he stalked and stalked Pascal Wehrlein like the pure predator he can be, pulling off arguably his greatest ever win with a final sideways burn out the last corner.
The ingredients of the thrilling victory were perfect: Packed out Foro Sol stadium, a track almost impossible to overtake on, and that epic last few metres.
There isn’t a lot you’ve probably not seen before here but it doesn’t matter because the drama never gets old.
Especially memorable is Allan McNish losing his shit in the final corners and bouncing off the team’s partner boards like an out of control Curling puck.
FEN’s Sam Smith even recalls how McNish, awash with champagne and glory after the race assimilated it with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s outrageous last gasp winner for Manchester United in the 1999 Champions League final.
Operation Berlin
Formula E’s efforts to get back to racing post-pandemic were extraordinary.
Such was the frustration felt by most that it was possibly overlooked completely just how logistically and operationally challenging it was to finish its 2019-20 season. And everyone involved in executing those 10 days should be justifiably proud of their achievements.
Someone else who was proud was Antonio Felix da Costa who trounced his rivals, and Santiago nemesis Jean-Eric Vergne to the title.
Despite initial spats between the two Vergne showed his class with a sincere message for his rival, which clearly moved da Costa.
“We did it,” says DAC simply at the end, just before shots of him crying in to a Portuguese flag are shown.
It’s a powerful hit and briefly unites two ferocious champions in a classy appraisal of a rivalry which tested both of them to the limit.
Valencia Farce not Exposed
Perhaps the one disappointment is the Valencia episode where the farcical zombie race where only a handful of cars made it to the chequered flag after running out of useable energy is not particularly dug down in to.
Instead, we get a gleeful Ian James accepting the gift from da Costa, who yes did unnecessarily start another lap, but was also hamstrung by a far too late call for extra energy to be deleted in a nonsense rule from race control that effectively created the ludicrous finale.
The final part of that desperate cocktail is not included, and perhaps Formula E is still limiting damage from one of its most image damaging days ever.
You can watch Formula E’s Flashback series on TNT Sports and Roku TV.
