ABB FIA Formula E: DHL Driver of the Day Award

Fans can choose their DHL Driver of the Day after every ABB FIA Formula E race and thus recognize special performance out on the racetrack. Voting takes place on Formula E’s Instagram stories and runs for 24 hours after the checkered flag has fallen.

Follow the link to the ABB FIA Formula E Instagram channel.

2019 New York City E-Prix - Race 2

Robin Frijns, Envision Virgin Racing

Robin Frijns ended his Formula E season in New York with his second win of the year, turning things around again to finish off, as he's been well out of the points following his success in Paris. The fans honored his performance as the season closes, making him the last DHL Driver of the Day of 2018/19.

"Everything went smoothly today, and after I got past Sims, it was a case of managing the energy and the tires to bring the car home safely," said Frijns. "For sure, it’s a big relief to get this result as since Paris we’ve had four non-finishes which has been tough."

2019 New York City E-Prix - Race 1

Mitch Evans, Panasonic Jaguar Team

Mitch Evans gets a podium as the final Formula E weekend opened in New York. He took second place on Saturday after tackling the race from 13th on the grid, from where he charged through the field and was named DHL Driver of the Day by fans for his catching up.

"To get up to the podium from P13 was unexpected but a fantastic result for everyone in the Panasonic Jaguar Racing team," said a delighted Evans. "Since we made some changes in Rome, the car has been rapid, so it’s great to capitalize on that pace."

2019 Julius Baer Swiss E-Prix

Andre Lotterer, DS Techeetah

Andre Lotterer was delighted to receive the DHL Driver Of The Day award in the first ever Formula E race to be hosted by the Swiss city of Bern. The fans had been impressed by Lotterer's determined charge through the field. Having started from eighth on the grid, he pulled off some great passing moves and used Attack Mode to good effect, eventually working his way up to fourth place.

Lotterer was subsequently demoted to 14th on the basis of a time penalty that arose from a misunderstanding between his team and race control. Nevertheless, he can take some comfort from his actual race performance and look ahead with confidence to the final race weekend: "Now it’s a matter of keeping our heads down and preparing for a comeback and to end the season on a high in New York."

2019 BMW i Berlin E-Prix presented by CBMM Niobium

Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler

Second win of season for Lucas di Grassi. The Audi driver had a really strong race in Berlin and as a result, is very much back in the fight for the championship. Di Grassi had started the race on the track at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport from third place but took the lead early and from then on, controlled the race from the front. The fans made him DHL Driver of the Day for his fine performance. The win puts him within six points of championship leader Jean-Eric Vergne.

“That was a very strategic race today,” said di Grassi. “It was all about energy management and we showed that our car is really efficient. It’s just mega to win Audi’s home race in front of such an enthusiastic crowd. We’re back in the title fight, for sure, and will celebrate with a big party tonight.”

2019 Monaco E-Prix

Felipe Massa, Venturi Formula E Team

Fan favorite, ex-Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa finally finished on the podium for the first time at Monaco in the ninth race of this Formula E season. The Brazilian took third place and fans also named him DHL Driver Of The Day for the first time. He had started out from fourth on the grid but immediately gained a position during the start. He then almost lost P3 with just a few minutes left on the clock, as he had squeezed practically every drop of life out of his battery in the race but just managed to hang on to third place over the line.

“The clean race we had is very important for us,” said Massa afterwards. “I could have had a podium before this race, but unfortunately, something always happened. I remember passing by the grandstands during the race and hearing my kids shout for me – it was incredible. At the end of the podium, Gildo Pastor, our team boss, was crying and thanking me for doing this for us here in Monaco.”

2019 Paris E-Prix

Robin Frijns, Envision Virgin Racing

Robin Frijns secured his maiden victory in Formula E in Paris, becoming the eighth winner this season in the eighth race. First, Frijns took the lead after a scrap with Sebastien Buemi and then controlled the race from the front, crossing the finish line ahead of Andre Lotterer. However, there was much more to winning this race than beating Buemi and Lotterer. Rain and a number of periods under yellow made racing extremely tricky. Fans honored his success by naming him DHL Driver Of The Day.

Frijns can now claim to have won the first rain-affected race in Formula E history. “That was one of the toughest races of my career,” he said afterwards. “Knowing that you’re leading, you’re the first car, expecting the corners, and Andre was behind me and he was waiting for me to make mistakes, so the pressure was on all race long. I didn’t have much time to rest, only during Full Course Yellows, but it was definitely one of the toughest ones.”

2019 GEOX Rome E-Prix

Stoffel Vandoorne, HWA Racelab

The Rome E-Prix brought the breakthrough for Stoffel Vandoorne. After a frustrating start to the season, the ex-Formula 1 driver secured a maiden podium in Italy. This was also the first Formula E podium for his team HWA Racelab. Vandoorne had already shown determination in qualifying, booking fourth on the grid. A good start brought him up to third place where he proceeded to battle with the leading pair.

But once again, it was a far from comfortable race for Vandoorne who was plagued by worries about the drive shaft. Nonetheless, he succeeded in hanging onto P3 through to the checkered flag. He then not only had a podium to celebrate but also the DHL Driver Of The Day award.

“What a weekend!” said a jubilant Vandoorne. “It was the first weekend when everything really came together.” He was particularly pleased to have at last put in a strong race performance in Rome, as there have been some weaknesses in this regard. “It is very pleasing to end the race in a podium position. That was the reward for all the hard work we have put in. I hope we have turned the corner now.”

2019 FWD Sanya E-Prix

Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Techeetah

Jean-Eric Vergne finally ended his long lean spell by winning the Sanya E-Prix. The reigning champion had not won a race during the current season up to this point. Indeed, he hadn’t even finished in the points in the last three outings. But this weekend, things at last went right for the Techeetah driver. In qualifying, he booked himself a place on the front row, and in the race itself, he prevailed over pole-sitter Oliver Rowland in a hard-fought encounter.

The decisive moment came when Vergne pulled off an aggressive but fair overtaking move to take the lead which he then defended resolutely through to the end. The fans recognized the quality of his performance by voting him DHL Driver of the Day. “After Hong Kong, it was tough,” said Vergne. “Three races and no points. You need to deliver, so I had to reset my mind and do a lot of work on myself to gain back the confidence. I was never gone, really. I guess I had a bit of bad luck but I guess talent doesn’t go away in a few months and that’s what I had to tell myself.”

2019 HKT Hong Kong E-Prix

Andre Lotterer, DS Techeetah

A solid performance by Andre Lotterer in the Hong Kong E-Prix was thwarted by an incident in which he was blameless. Leading the field on the penultimate lap, he was hit by Sam Bird. Before that, he had pulled off several good overtaking maneuvers after a safety car deployment to move up from fourth to first place. At the time of the collision, he looked all set for victory, but the rear tire of his vehicle was destroyed and he was only able to limp over the line in 14th place. He was nonetheless voted DHL Driver of the Day by the fans.

For Lotterer, it would have been the first victory of his Formula E career. “The good thing is that I had the fastest lap and we have a good car, so now we look to Sanya and keep moving forward,” said Lotterer, emphasizing that his focus is on the next Formula E outing in China.

2019 CBMM Niobium Mexico City E-Prix

Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler

Lucas di Grassi won one of the most amazing races in Formula E history. The Audi man secured victory in the Mexico E-Prix on the very last few meters. With the finish line in sight, di Grassi passed Mahindra driver Pascal Wehrlein, whose car had run out of power, and was voted DHL Driver of the Day by the fans.

“I have to say it was probably the best Formula E race of my career to date,” said di Grassi, grinning from ear to ear. “I knew Wehrlein was running out of energy. I was putting on pressure, trying to overtake, and over the last five laps, I knew I had more energy. In the last chicane, I could see that he was closing the door and I was going to the outside. On the last lap, I was behind him and made as if to go around the outside. He opened a small door, just enough for the car to fit in between the wall and the car, and I went there.”

Di Grassi’s win in Mexico City is the second of his Formula E career, his first having come in 2017. It also brings Audi’s tally of victories in Mexico’s capital city to three out of the four races.

2019 Antofagasta Minerals Santiago E-Prix

Pascal Wehrlein, Mahindra Racing

Second race outing brings first podium: Pascal Wehrlein finished runner-up behind winner Sam Bird in the Santiago E-Prix. This was the first race proper, for the Mahindra driver, after he was eliminated in the preliminary round at Marrakesh in what was supposed to be his Formula E debut. He not only secured a podium finish at the first real attempt but was voted DHL Driver of the Day by the fans.

“I’m just happy to be in this position,” said Wehrlein. “Today was great, as it was my first full race in Formula E – the other one in Marrakesh didn’t go so well! What can I say? It’s amazing. At the moment, I’m really enjoying the fact that I can challenge for the race win... It was a good decision coming to Formula E.”

2019 Marrakesh E-Prix

Jerome D’Ambrosio, Mahindra Racing

Despite only qualifying tenth on the grid, Jerome D’Ambrosio notched up his third Formula E win to round off this season’s chaotic second race. Starting out from P10, he made a very impressive charge up the field and finally took the lead when the two front-runners collided with one another. Fans named him their DHL Driver of the Day for his race. What’s more, he now leads the championship.

“The race was really hard fought,” said D’Ambrosio. “Coming from P10, it wasn’t expected. When I saw a couple of opportunities, I pushed for a couple of laps, made a couple of positions and managed to keep it. Winning this race means a lot for us for all of the hard work we’ve done over the past few weeks.”

2018 Saudia Ad Diriyah E prix

António Félix da Costa, BMW i Andretti Motorsport

In Saudi Arabia, António Félix da Costa secured Team Andretti’s maiden win in Formula E. The Portuguese driver was in a class of his own at the season opener both in qualifying and in the race and deserved to be voted DHL Driver of the Day by fans.

“The last two years have just been so hard,” said Félix da Costa, visibly relieved after clinching his second win in the series at the 2018/19 season opener in Ad Diriyah. “I was far from giving up – I’m a fighter, after all. But it’s hard – I’m also a winner and I hate to lose. To finally do it today, is just amazing... the DAC is back!”

2018 Qatar Airways New York City E-Prix - Race 2

Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler

It wasn't just the teams' championship title Audi were celebrating in Brooklyn, with both drivers - di Grassi as well as teammate Daniel Abt - making it onto the podium in the final race of season four. "It shows that in Formula E, you need to do the job all around to make it happen," said di Grassi, moments after stepping off the podium. "On my side, that's exactly what we did. We were nowhere in the first races, we made mistakes but the car was already fast. It's nothing short of a miracle - I'm very, very happy," said the outgoing champion. 

2018 Qatar Airways New York City E-Prix - Race 1

Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler

Pulling in yet another stunning one-two led by outgoing champion and race winner Lucas di Grassi, Audi led the majority of the second half of the first race in New York City, collecting a grand total of 44 points in the process. "The Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler car was just a rocket today," said di Grassi. "I had good fights with Dillmann - I had good fights with a lot of the drivers, clearly ecstatic with his second victory of the season but all too aware of Vergne's ultimate victory. "I think JEV did a fantastic championship – he deserved to be champion...he did everything correctly."

2018 Julius Baer Zurich E-Prix

Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler

Cruising to his first victory this season, after a disastrous initial first few months, the reigning champion marked his fifth consecutive podium with a win in the inaugural 2018 Julius Baer Zurich E-Prix. Waving to fans while doing doughnuts just moments after crossing the line, di Grassi simply yelled, "F***ing YEAH!" down the radio - clearly overwhelmed and, err, perhaps a little overexcited by the result. "We've been very unlucky the first half of this season and now the luck has turned a little bit," explained di Grassi after returning to the garage. "We've managed to do five consecutive podiums...the win here in Zurich is the cherry on top of the cake."

But it wasn't all easy going, explains the Audi driver. "First of all, the weekend wasn't easy...The second part of the race was just about managing the pace but the first part of the race was really difficult trying to overtaking everyone - I got very close to the wall and Andre was super-hot on defending but the car was fast." Arriving in Mexico City (Round 5) with absolutely no points to his name, di Grassi has since made a miraculous comeback, scoring his first three points in Mexico before placing second consecutively for four races. Now, with a first in hand, di Grassi sits third in the championship with 101 points. Still a full 62 points off championship leader Vergne. "Our target is to win the constructors title in the championship for Audi - I think that will be an amazing target after the first half of the season we had," he said. "For me, I think the best I can do is third place, so I'm going to focus on that." 

2018 BMW i Berlin E-Prix

Daniel Abt, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler

"It feels like a dream!" said an emotional Daniel Abt, glancing over as the sun sets behind the ageing terminal building of Berlin's iconic Templehoff airport. Just weeks after Techeetah Formula E's Jean-Eric Vergne cruised to victory in his hometown of Paris, the ABB FIA Formula E Championship crowned yet another home race hero - the third in the series history, after DS Virgin Racing's Sam Bird in London and JEV in Paris. "To win a home race has always been on my checklist and to finally do it with the one-two finish and maximum points is crazy - it still feels a bit unreal - I loved every second of today."

From StreetScooter to podium: Daniel Abt wins the Berlin ePrix

Finishing a perfect race with a full 29 points after clinching the Julius Baer Pole Position (three points), the Visa Fastest Lap (one point) and, of course, all 25 points for a first-place finish, Abt topped off arguably the most successful day of his career by leading his teammate Lucas di Grassi to a one-two finish. With that and both Audi drivers finishing on the podium, no team has scored more points in a single race in the history of Formula E.

2018 Qatar Airways Paris E-Prix

Daniel Abt, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler

Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler’s Daniel Abt battled his way up seven places in Paris after starting the race in 14th. “It was a good fight, it was fun. 98 per cent of the fights I had, I enjoyed,” said Abt, grinning after the race. Relying on his experience in the series, the German driver managed to battle hard without running out of energy, unlike Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Mitch Evans in Rome and Techeetah's Andre Lotterer in Paris. "For Evans and for Lotterer, they try to over-defend and somehow keep that podium and, if you do that and ignore what the stats say to you, then you end up without energy. It's happened to me before and I think you learn, so it's not something you do a second time,” said Abt knowingly. “I didn't have that experience when I started Formula E - I made those mistakes myself but, for me, energy is not something I'm worried about. I feel very well and I know what I'm doing - I'm very happy.”

2018 CBMM Niobium Rome E-Prix presented by Mercedes EQ

Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler

While DS Virgin Racing's Sam Bird was the driver who walked away with the win in Rome, it was reigning champion Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler) who you voted the DHL Driver of the Day, after an aggressive drive saw him take second place. Fighting back after a dismal first half of the season, di Grassi seems to be back on track after climbing 12 places in the championship in just three races. He now sits eighth in the standings with 39 points. So far this season, the top step of the podium has proved elusive for the Brazilian driver. With three more European races to go before the double-header season finale in New York City on July 14 and 15, we'll soon see if he's got it in him.

2018 CBMM Niobium Punta del Este E-Prix

Jean-Eric Vergne, Techeetah

Following Techeetah driver Jean-Eric Vergne’s maiden victory this season in a spectacular showdoen in Santiago, the Frenchman once again made his mark in South America, clinching another victory for the Chinese team in picturesque Punta del Este. “I think I need a glass of vodka right now,” he shouted over the radio, crossing the finishline with Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler’s Lucas di Grassi hot on his tail. Maintaining his position at the top of the championship leaderboard with 109 points, let’s have another round of applause for your DHL Driver of the Day from the 2018 CBMM Niobium Punta del Este E-Prix – Jean-Eric Vergne.

2018 Mexico City E-Prix

Daniel Abt, Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler

Joining the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in its inaugural year in 2014, it's taken Daniel Abt no less than three and a half seasons to achieve his first win in the all-electric championship. After being stripped of what looked like a clear victory in Hong Kong on his birthday, Abt was left humiliated yet determined to strike back. After a solid start at the Mexico City E-Prix, Abt charged to victory after a crucial and incredibly quick pit stop put him in the lead. Crossing the line and clinching victory, Abt immediately cried out "it feels so good, it feels SO, SO good - thank you!". 

Premiere in Mexico: Daniel Abt secures his first ABB FIA Formula E win

2018 Antofagasta Minerals Santiago E-Prix

Andre Lotterer, Techeetah

After joining the world of all-electric racing ahead of Season Four, it’s taken just four races for Andre Lotterer to find a place on the penultimate step of the podium after finishing second in Santiago alongside his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne.

Coming from an endurance racing background, where he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times as well as the 2012 World Championship Title with Audi’s works team, Lotterer’s transition to all-electric racing hasn’t been easy. “It’s the most challenging thing I have done,” he said after his debut race in Hong Kong.

“The brain is working overtime,” said Lotterer, still coming to terms with not just his first podium but also his first points in Santiago. “Some people say these cars are not that quick but believe me, when you’re driving in between these concrete walls, it feels just as quick as Le Mans, or anything I’ve ever driven,” he added. “You can’t make any mistakes here....I’m still finding out how to race. It’s a different game here in Formula E.”