DS PENSKE endured another frustrating weekend at the 2025/26 Formula E Jeddah E-Prix double-header, leaving with just two points.
Taylor Barnard and Maximilian Günther finished Rounds 4 and 5 in P10 and P11, respectively, with Barnard securing the team’s only points. This result was not what the team or the drivers had hoped for, especially given their already tough start to Season 12, as DS PENSKE currently sits 9th in the Teams’ Standings with 22 points.
Günther: “This race was disappointing”
Maximilian Günther had a promising start to Round 5 after qualifying sixth on the grid, targeting a podium finish after having won on the circuit in Season 11. However, at lights out, the German lost six positions, dropping him down to the middle of the pack.
To try and save his result, Günther set his sights on an energy-conserving strategy as the first part of the race proved tactical. Therefore, throughout the race, he prioritised efficiency, made up a few spots from P15, and activated his second ATTACK MODE in the final laps, eventually settling for a P11 finish.
Reflecting on the FE Jeddah E-Prix, Günther said, “This race was disappointing, with another 11th place that left me just outside the points once more. I didn’t feel comfortable on the first lap, with a lot of understeer, and I lost several places. Then, I decided to bet everything on the end of the race by saving energy. I was planning to push hard in the final laps, but didn’t gain as many places as I had hoped. And this is clearly not what we deserved.”
“We were fast on both days and very strong in qualifying, with a second and a sixth place on the grid, but in the end the results didn’t follow. That’s obviously disappointing for the whole team, but I am sure that we will analyse everything and come back even stronger at the next race, in five weeks in Madrid,” he concluded.
Barnard on his P10 result
On the other hand, Taylor Barnard’s Round 5 got off to an even more frustrating start. During qualifying, the Briton had to deal with tyres that gave him no confidence, ultimately leaving him with enough pace for a P17 race start.
However, in the race, Barnard managed to move up the grid with a similar strategy, running alongside his teammate for almost the entire distance before eventually claiming a P10 finish.
Speaking after the Formula E Jeddah E-Prix, Barnard shared: “The double header in Jeddah didn’t allow us to deliver the results we were looking for. In the end we just scored two points despite coming here with big ambitions. We know we have a competitive car, while last year’s excellent results – both for the team and for me personally – gave us confidence. So the end conclusion is a disappointing one, but I also think that some of the reasons for our underperformance are external elements that are out of our control. And that makes it even harder to swallow.”
