FE | Race 2 | Monaco E-Prix | Sebastien Buemi wins after a 5-year drought - Motorsport

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After one of the most exciting Qualifying sessions of Season 11, the stage was set for Race 2 of the Monaco E-Prix. Who was crowned the winner?

A slippery Qualifying session in Monaco

On day two of the Monaco E-Prix double header, challenging wet conditions set the stage for a dramatic qualifying session. Following yesterday’s race where Oliver Rowland claimed his third victory of the season after overtaking surprise pole-sitter Taylor Barnard, all eyes were on drivers seeking redemption in today’s event. The qualifying session began with light rain that intensified throughout, creating treacherous conditions around the iconic Principality circuit.

The qualifying format progressed through Group stages, into knockout Duels, with Nyck De Vries topping Group A ahead of António Félix da Costa, Rowland and Dan Ticktum. In Group B, Sebastien Buemi set the fastest time, advancing alongside Jean-Éric Vergne (JEV), Stoffel Vandoorne and Maximilian Günther.

The Quarter Finals saw Rowland defeat Da Costa, whilst De Vries comprehensively outpaced Ticktum despite the latter making a costly mistake exiting the tunnel. The semi-finals descended into chaos when both De Vries and Rowland ran off at Sainte Devote, though Rowland recovered better to advance.

Similarly, both Günther and Vergne exceeded track limits in their semi-final battle, resulting in deleted times for both DS Penske drivers. Consequently, officials elected not to run the Final, awarding pole position to Rowland—who later received a suspended three-place grid penalty for exiting the pit lane under a red light earlier in the session.

Lights out for Monaco E-Prix Race 2

The lights were out for the Race 2 in Monaco, and it was a clean start for the front-row starters. Rowland stayed in P1, managing to hold off De Vries through the first corner. Despite the slippery conditions, it was a start without incident.

🟢 WE GO GREEN IN MONACO!!! 🟢

Rowland gets away well at the start and leads from de Vries and Vergne! It's a clean first few corners for the grid on a wet track! 👏#MonacoEPrix pic.twitter.com/p2uCUNnENk
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) May 4, 2025

Pascal Wehrlein, who started tenth, seemed to have a slow start as he quickly fell to P13.

Beckmann falls victim at Turn 1

David Beckmann was pushed off the track at Turn 1 after Jake Hughes brushed the rear of the German driver, who headed to the pits with a puncture. Meanwhile, the first drivers began to take their ATTACK Mode, with Buemi being the first. He’s sat on fifth, passing by Günther.

Hughes was handed a 5-second penalty after causing a collision with Beckmann.

JEV was clearly putting pressure on De Vries, with the Dutchman losing positions after JEV and Buemi activated ATTACK Mode. With the extra 350 kW, the DS Penske driver took the top spot, with Rowland behind.

De Vries did not back down and drove his way back up to fourth, but the session was slowed down due to a brief yellow flag.

Lucas di Grassi out of Race 2

The Brazilian driver collided with Jake Dennis after he attempted to overtake the Andretti driver. Unfortunately, Di Grassi ended up in the wall, issuing a full course yellow.

The restart was smooth for JEV, who maintained the lead, but Rowland had yet to activate his ATTACK Mode, driving his own race.

Ticktum was the next driver to go off-course after attempting a move on Nick Cassidy. Although he kisses the wall, Ticktum pulled a nice save at Mirabeau, despite losing positions.

Lap 10/29

Ticktum makes contact with the wall and spins off! He makes his way back onto the track after a good save but this has hurt his race… 🤯#MonacoEPrix pic.twitter.com/Wujd3ErQzM
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) May 4, 2025

Nico Müller comes to a stop at Casino Square

The streets of Monaco were proving difficult for several drivers, and Müller was the latest victim, after hitting the wall on the outside of Massenet. However, things were taking a turn for Wehrlein, who passed Norman Nato down the front straight. The German driver gained two positions just before the Safety Car was brought out.

The second restart saw De Vries give it his all, but JEV and Rowland were still in front. Da Costa made a move on Buemi, leading to some wheel-to-wheel racing, with Da Costa winning.

JEV toyed with Rowland, holding him off, as the Brit still had two doses of 350 kW left. Rowland finally deployed the first dose of energy. However, he briefly went off track trying to overtake De Vries.

Rowland takes the lead

There was some side-by-side action between Rowland and JEV, as they went into the tunnel. Rowland came out victorious, but was pushed off track by JEV.

Lap 18/29

A mega defense from de Vries and Rowland had to bail and drive through the chicane 😮‍💨#MonacoEPrix pic.twitter.com/S7BWLsvAo4
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) May 4, 2025

While the battle between JEV and Rowland got more intense, De Vries had a plan to clear off the rest. He slips by Rowland for the race lead, using his ATTACK Mode to hold off the Nissan driver. Also taking his ATTACK Mode, Buemi caught up to De Vries, looking to overtake. The Swiss driver had to be patient, waiting for the right moment to overtake.

Buemi slips past De Vries

Buemi took the lead, opening the gap at Mirabeau. With De Vries in second and JEV in third, Rowland had to look for a way back into the top 3. Leading the race was a big moment for Buemi, who has not won a Formula E race since New York City in Season 5. The Envision driver had a three-second lead over Rowland.

The final stages of the Monaco E-Prix Race 2

Race 2 of the Monaco E-Prix reached its final stages and Buemi was still in the lead. Rowland had 1% more energy than Buemi, but the gap was wide. With an extra lap added to the race, Cassidy has found himself in third.

Barnard, Zane Maloney and Jake Hughes were handed a 5-second penalty each after breaking track limits.

Da Costa tried to attack for a podium position, but the Jaguar driver defended with ease.

Lap 18/29

A mega defense from de Vries and Rowland had to bail and drive through the chicane 😮‍💨#MonacoEPrix pic.twitter.com/S7BWLsvAo4
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) May 4, 2025

As the chequered flag was waved, Buemi took the win, four seconds up from Rowland, who finished in second. Cassidy brought it home in third, taking his first podium of season 11.