The miracle didn’t happen! Stoffel Vandoorne became this season’s Formula E World Champion

The story of the eighth season of the Formula E World Championship has come to an end. Jaguar’s Mitch Evans attempted the impossible, but qualifying dashed his hopes for good. It was the Mercedes garage, on the other hand, that erupted into a celebration after the finish. Their driver Stoffel Vandoorne convincingly claimed his coveted world championship title with a second place in the final race in Seoul!

100. the race of the championship history was to offer a direct confrontation between the two aspirants for the championship crown – Stoffel Vandoorne and Mitch Evans. After all, the title was decided in qualifying.

Evans could have made the battle even more dramatic if he had gained pole position and three extra championship points. But the New Zealander didn’t even get into the duels! He started the race from thirteenth position, while his rival Vandoorne started from fourth.

So a cynic (and most likely any Evans fan) would declare it all a done deal. In the narrow streets of the South Korean capital of Seoul, how can anyone break from seventh row at the start to first position in just forty-five minutes? It would have to be a similar collision to yesterday, only it would involve all the riders starting ahead of Evans.

But nothing like that happened for the entire length of the race. While there was a minor push after the start on the first lap, which ironically Evans himself got slightly tangled up in, there were no stacks built from Formula E cars.

Vandoorne didn’t let the pressure of the decisive race get to him. He held on to fourth position after the start, while Edoardo Mortara overtook pole position holder Antonio Felix da Costa to take the race lead on lap three.

Mercedes’ battle for the constructors’ title was slightly overshadowed when Nyck de Vries collided with Pascal Wehrlein on lap seven. Last year’s world champion was forced to retire from the race, pulling Venturi within a point of the German team.

However, when their driver Lucas di Grassi pitted for a flat tire, it was all over. Mercedes had definitely secured the team title. Now it was just a matter of seeing where Evans would take it and if Vandoorne could keep his cool.

But even the safety car in the second part of the race didn’t bring the drama at the very end. Mortara held on to the lead, Vandoorne snatched second place after a mistake by da Costa and a penalty for Dennis, and Evans had to settle for seventh. Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne is now the new Formula E World Champion.

Mercedes also celebrated its second consecutive double championship crown. However, the German carmaker has already announced its retirement from the series.

Source: FIA Formula E