Joel Eriksson claimed his maiden Formula E podium as Envision Racing secured a double points finish during the Shanghai E-Prix.
According to Envision Racing, the Swedish driver climbed through the field to finish third after a well-executed strategy in changing conditions. At the same time, Sébastien Buemi added valuable points by finishing fifth.
Joel Eriksson’s podium came one day after Lucas di Grassi secured Lola Yamaha ABT’s maiden Formula E victory in Shanghai, highlighting another dramatic race weekend
The result marked Joel Eriksson’s first podium in Formula E. It also rewarded Envision Racing after both drivers narrowly missed progressing to qualifying Duels.
Joel Eriksson Formula E podium follows strategic race
After qualifying outside the Duels, Eriksson and Buemi started from the midfield on a wet Shanghai circuit.
The race initially began behind the Safety Car before switching to a standing start as conditions improved.
Buemi was first of two Envision drivers to activate Attack Mode. Then he climbed into the top five with decisive overtakes on Taylor Barnard and Jake Dennis.
Meanwhile, Eriksson steadily worked his way through the field before deploying Attack Mode later in the race. Strong energy management allowed him to move into the podium positions before briefly taking the race lead.
However, a late Full Course Yellow changed the complexion of the race. Lucas di Grassi used his Attack Mode advantage to move ahead before Jean-Éric Vergne also found a way past.
Despite late changes, Eriksson held on to third. Buemi, on the other hand, completed the race in fifth to secure a valuable double points finish.
Joel Eriksson reflects on maiden Formula E podium
Reflecting on his breakthrough result, Eriksson admitted the late neutralisation cost him the chance to fight for victory.
“It was obviously a tough race. I had to fight hard for that one, coming from the back of the grid! But I came a little bit short in the end.
I felt like I had it nicely under control just before the Full Course Yellow, so obviously I think we could have kept it until the line if it had been a green race to the end.
Just after the Full Course Yellow, I didn’t have the grip from the tyres as before. So I obviously wanted a bit more, but I’m just super happy for the team, to deliver a podium in probably the most important race of the year for them here in Shanghai.
It’s great to see all the Envision Racing people and employees here during the weekend. Very happy with our first podium, we showed great performance today.”
Strong recovery after difficult opening race
Joel Eriksson’s podium completed a positive turnaround after a mixed opening race of the Shanghai double-header.
During Saturday’s E-Prix, Buemi progressed to Duels before qualifying sixth. However, he struggled for pace during the race and finished outside the points.
Eriksson, meanwhile, recovered from outside the top ten on the grid to score points in seventh after the team timed its Attack Mode strategy effectively.
The latest result therefore represented a significant step forward for Envision Racing. Both drivers converted strong race pace into a double-points finish.
Eriksson’s maiden Formula E podium also provided one of the team’s strongest performances of the season as Formula E heads next to Tokyo.
