2017 Montreal ePrix

2017 Montreal ePrix
Race 11 of 12 of the 2016–17 Formula E Championship ← Previous race
Race details[1][2]
Date	29 July 2017
Official name	2017 FIA Formula E Hydro-Québec Montréal ePrix[3]
Location	Montreal Street Circuit, Montreal, Quebec
Course	Street circuit
Course length	2.745 km (1.706 miles)
Distance	35 laps, 96.075 km (59.698 miles)
Weather	Dry with air temperatures approaching 24.1 °C (75.4 °F); wind speeds up to 11.1 kilometres per hour (6.9 mph)[4]
Pole position
Driver	Lucas di Grassi	Audi Sport ABT
Time	1:22.869
Fastest lap
Driver	Loïc Duval	Dragon-Penske
Time	1:24.536 on lap 19
Podium
First	Lucas di Grassi	Audi Sport ABT
Second	Jean-Éric Vergne	Techeetah-Renault
Third	Stéphane Sarrazin	Techeetah-Renault
Lap leaders

The 2017 Montreal ePrix (formally the 2017 FIA Formula E Hydro-Québec Montréal ePrix) was a pair of Formula E electric car races held on 29 and 30 July 2017 at the Montreal Street Circuit in Montreal, Quebec before a two-day crowd of 45,000 people. They were the 11th and 12th races of the 2016–17 Formula E Championship and the only running of the event. The first 35-lap race contested on 29 July, was won by Audi Sport ABT driver Lucas di Grassi from pole position. The Techeetah duo of Jean-Éric Vergne and Stéphane Sarrazin finished in second and third places. The longer 37-lap race held on 31 July was won by Vergne from a third place start. Mahindra's Felix Rosenqvist took second with Virgin driver José María López third.

Di Grassi won pole position for the first race by recording the fastest lap in qualifying and held off Sarrazin to maintain the lead at the start and pulled away from the field. Attention focused on Sébastien Buemi, demoted from second to twelfth for changing his battery, who sustained steering arm damage on the first lap but was able to move up the field during the course of the race. It was neutralised with a full course yellow flag when Loïc Duval and Nick Heidfeld collided on the 14th lap. Most drivers made pit stops to switch into a second car and di Grassi kept the lead after this phase. Sarrazin ceded second to teammate Vergne who began to draw closer to di Grassi but his chase was neutralised when López crashed on lap 24, necessitating the safety car's deployment. Di Grassi kept the lead at the restart and held off Vergne for the rest of the race to take his second victory of the season and the sixth of his career. No lead changes occurred, as di Grassi was the only driver to lead laps in the first race.

Rosenqvist was the fastest driver for qualifying for the second race and maintained the lead on the first lap. After Sarrazin spun at the first turn from contact with Daniel Abt and Nelson Piquet Jr., Buemi was hit from behind by António Félix da Costa, damaging his right-rear wheel guard which flailed in the wind before detaching. Buemi was required to make a pit stop, dropping him down the order. With more electrical energy to use, Vergne began attacking Rosenqvist for the lead after ten laps. Vergne took the lead for one lap when the change into second cars began on the 18th lap. After the pit stops, Rosenqvist reclaimed the lead with a five-second lead over Vergne who began regaining the lost time having made his pit stop one lap later than the former. Vergne again had more usable electrical energy and overtook the slower Rosenqvist on the 29th lap. Vergne maintained the lead to claim his first Formula E victory. There were four lead changes among three different drivers during the course of the second race.

Di Grassi overturned Buemi's lead in the Drivers' Championship to become the third champion in Formula E history by 24 points. Rosenqvist finished the season in third place, five points ahead of Sam Bird. Vergne's form in both races consolidated his hold on fifth position. Despite its poor form in the second race, e.Dams-Renault secured their third consecutive Teams' Championship by 20 points over Audi Sport ABT. Mahindra finished the season in third with Virgin a further 25 points behind in fourth. Techeetah's performance in both races allowed the team to consolidate fifth place.