Although the weather conditions were very difficult on the eve of the race, the first Tokyo E-Prix was a success from an organisational point of view.
The consequence of the heavy rain that fell until lunchtime on Friday simply encouraged the drivers to be cautious during the first practice sessions, on a track that was still waterlogged.
At DS Penske, it wasn't the rain that caused Vandoorne problems, but rather the battery in his electric single-seater. This is a component common to all cars, and its failure meant that it had to be replaced.
Fortunately, the following morning, the sun was out again, and although the track was still a little damp in places, the level of grip was much more even. The set-up of the single-seaters could then be fine-tuned, and the two DS Penske cars, in caution mode, were in the middle of the timesheets.
Still having to find solutions in sector one, Vergne finished the second session in ninth place, with Vandoorne 11th. In qualifying, the two DS E-TENSE FE23s were both in Group B, but the configuration of the session prevented them from reaching the quarter-finals. Still hampered by battery problems, Vandoorne once again had to replace it.
Starting from 13th and 18th on the grid, the DS Penske drivers knew that they would have to call on all their experience to try and gain places.
But on this bumpy circuit, where a break can even cause the cars to take off completely, it's not easy to find grip.
Source: Autosport