Formula E: di Grassi scores win in Switzerland while Vergne falters - MotorSportsTalk

ABT Schaeffler Audi’s Lucas di Grassi charged through the field after starting fifth to win Sunday’s Zurich E-Prix, the first auto race in Switzerland since 1954 and the penultimate weekend of the 2017/18 ABB FIA Formula E season.

Di Grassi managed to quickly work his way through the field prior to the car swaps, overtaking then leader Mitch Evans – he was forced to conserve power on his Panasonic Jaguar Racing Spark-Jaguar – in the first half of the race, and cruising home to a dominant victory.

.@LucasdiGrassi wins his first race of the season and the 2018 @juliusbaer #ZurichEPrix, the first motor race in Switzerland in 64 years! #ABBFormulaE pic.twitter.com/6qoLOq8djC

— ABB Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) June 10, 2018

However, chaos reigned behind him, as Techeetah’s Jean-Eric Vergne, the championship leader by 40 points over DS Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird entering the weekend, faltered mightily.

Vergne, who was working his way forward prior to the car swaps after starting 17th, found himself in the top 10 before pitting to swap cars under a full course caution with the rest of the field – Vergne hit the front wing of Mahindra Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist, which had fallen off after the Swedish driver clouted the Turn 1 wall, to cause the caution.

.@FRosenqvist goes into the wall at turn one #ZurichEPrix pic.twitter.com/8JoJoR4ZUJ

— ABB Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) June 10, 2018

The caution saw the entire field take to the pits for the car swaps, but Vergne suffered a disastrous swap after his car wouldn’t start, costing him valuable time and positions.

Insult was added to injury when Vergne was one of several drivers – along with Evans, Renault e.dam’s Sebastien Buemi and Dragon Racing’s Jose Maria Lopez – assessed a drive-through penalty for speeding under the full-course caution period.

It left Vergne to languish in 10th at the end as the final points scorer. Meanwhile, title rival Bird survived the chaos to finish second, slashing the championship deficit to 23 points ahead of July’s season-ending double header in New York City.

.@sambirdracing hugs Formula E Founder & CEO, Alejandro Agag as he takes the title fight to season finale double-header in New York City ⚡️ #ZurichEPrix pic.twitter.com/7VLJ8ORyI7

— ABB Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) June 10, 2018

Jerome d’Ambrosio finished third for Dragon Racing.

As it stands, Vergne leads Bird by 23 points, while di Grassi’s win vaulted him up to third in the championship.

Results can be found here, while championship standings can be found here.

Follow@KyleMLavigne

The NTT IndyCar Series will return to the Motor City for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix but with start times in a new location for 2023.

After a 30-year run on Belle Isle, the Detroit GP has moved a few miles south to the streets of downtown on a new nine-turn, 1.7-mile circuit that runs along the Detroit River.

It’s the first time single-seater open-cockpit cars have raced on the streets of Detroit since a CART event on a 2.5-mile downtown layout from 1989-91. Formula One also raced in Detroit from 1982-88.

The reimagined Detroit Grand Prix also will play host to nightly concerts and bring in venders from across the region. Roger Penske predicts the new downtown locale will be bigger for Detroit than when the city played host to the 2006 Super Bowl.

Here are the details and IndyCar start times for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend (all times are ET):

CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX INDYCAR START TIMES

TV: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock, the NBC Sports App and NBCSports.com. Leigh Diffey is the announcer with analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Dave Burns, Marty Snider and Kevin Lee are the pit reporters. Click here for the full NBC Sports schedule for IndyCar in 2023.

Peacock also will be the streaming broadcast for both practices and qualifying.

POSTRACE SHOW ON PEACOCK: After the race’s conclusion, an exclusive postrace show will air on Peacock with driver interviews, postrace analysis and the podium presentation. To watch the extended postrace show, click over to the special stream on Peacock after Sunday’s race ends.

COMMAND TO START ENGINES: 3:23 p.m. ET

GREEN FLAG: 3:30 p.m. ET

PRACTICE: Friday, 3 p.m. (Peacock Premium); Saturday, 9:05 a.m. (Peacock Premium); Sunday, 10 a.m. (Peacock Premium)

QUALIFYING: Saturday, 1:20 p.m. (Peacock Premium)

RACE DISTANCE: The race is 100 laps (170 miles) on a nine-turn, 1.7-mile temporary street course in downtown Detroit.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: Seven sets primary, four sets alternate. Rookie drivers are allowed one extra primary set for the first practice.

PUSH TO PASS: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation (Indy NXT: 150 seconds total, 15 seconds per). The push-to-pass is not available on the initial start or any restart unless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race. The feature increases the power of the engine by approximately 60 horsepower.

FORECAST: According to Wunderground.com, it’s expected to be 80 degrees with a 0% chance of rain.

ENTRY LIST: Click here to view the 27 drivers racing Sunday at Detroit

INDY NXT RACES: Saturday, 12:05 p.m. 45 laps/55 minutes (Peacock Premium); Sunday, 12:50 p.m. 45 laps/55 minutes (Peacock Premium)

INDY NXT ENTRY LIST: Click here to view the 19 drivers racing at Detroit