Stoffel Vandoorne won the world title in the Formula E electric racing class in the final race of the season on Sunday. The Belgian is the successor of his Dutch teammate Nyck de Vries, who won the title on behalf of Mercedes last year.
Thirty-year-old Vandoorne defended a 21-point lead over Mitch Evans in the last race of the season in Seoul. The New Zealander had won the fifteenth E-Prix of the season in the South Korean capital a day earlier.
Evans did not get further than thirteenth place in qualifying on Sunday, while Vandoorne started from fourth place. Evans managed to move up a few positions in the race, but not enough to keep the Belgian from the title.
Vandoorne, who drove for McLaren in Formula 1 for several years, finished second behind Swiss Edoardo Mortara and gave Mercedes a farewell in style. Mercedes is leaving Formula E after three years to fully focus on Formula 1.
“This is the best feeling ever,” said Vandoorne, who took the title 33 points ahead of Evans. “We have performed very consistently this season and achieved something special.” Vandoorne won only one race in Formula E’s eighth season and Evans four, but he finished on the podium in half of the sixteen races and performed more consistently.
De Vries retired early in the final race of the season after a collision with German Pascal Wehrlein. The Dutchman did not make it to the finish on Saturday, after a remarkable collision between a total of eight cars. Robin Frijns, the second Dutchman in Formula E, was flagged fourth in the second race in Seoul.
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