Stoffel Vandoorne Crowned Formula E World Champion in Thrilling Seoul Finale

The 2022 Formula E season reached its electrifying climax in Seoul, South Korea, delivering a spectacular finale that saw Stoffel Vandoorne secure his maiden Drivers’ Championship title. Edoardo Mortara claimed a dominant victory in the season’s closing race, but it was Vandoorne’s calculated drive to a crucial second-place finish that sealed his fate as the new champion of electric motorsport. Mercedes EQ also celebrated, wrapping up their second consecutive Teams’ Championship in what marked their final race in the series.

The Grand Finale: A Championship Decided

The final round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship promised high drama, with the title battle finely poised between Stoffel Vandoorne and Mitch Evans. Entering the Seoul EPrix, Vandoorne held a significant points advantage, but the nature of Formula E means nothing is truly safe until the checkered flag. The pressure was palpable for both contenders, with every overtake and every strategic decision carrying immense weight.

Qualifying set the stage for the championship showdown. Vandoorne, demonstrating consistent pace under pressure, navigated the challenging Seoul E-Prix circuit to reach the duels phase, ultimately securing a vital fourth-place starting position. This put him in an excellent position to manage his race. In stark contrast, championship rival Mitch Evans struggled to find pace, only managing to qualify a disappointing 13th on the grid. This significant grid advantage for Vandoorne provided a crucial psychological and strategic edge before the race even began. Pole position was ultimately claimed by the experienced Antonio Felix da Costa, with Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara lining up alongside him on the front row, poised for an attack.

Race Start and Early Drama Unfold

As the lights extinguished, signalling the start of the final race of the season, Antonio Felix da Costa launched his Techeetah impeccably from pole position, instantly establishing a lead. Behind him, Edoardo Mortara fended off a determined challenge from Jake Dennis to maintain second place. The opening lap, however, was not without incident. A multi-car tangle unfolded, initiated by contact between Maximilian Gunther and Lucas di Grassi, which then collected Dan Ticktum. This chaotic moment caused a brief but significant compression of the field, though thankfully, all cars managed to continue, albeit with some likely damage.

The early laps quickly saw a shift at the front. On the third lap, Mortara executed a bold and decisive move, diving up the inside of Da Costa at Turn 22. He successfully forced his way into the lead, showcasing the aggressive racing style that has become synonymous with Formula E. Seizing the opportunity created by Da Costa’s compromised line, Jake Dennis expertly demoted the pole-sitter down to third, moving his Andretti car into second position and joining Mortara at the sharp end of the race.

Mid-Race Dynamics and Strategic Attack Mode

The strategic element of Attack Mode soon came into play, adding another layer of complexity to the race. Da Costa, Vandoorne, and Robin Frijns collectively activated their first Attack Mode, temporarily ceding track position in exchange for a boost in power. Jake Dennis followed suit on the subsequent lap, ensuring he maintained parity with the leading pack. Further back in the tightly contested midfield, drama struck as Nyck de Vries and Pascal Wehrlein collided while battling fiercely at Turn 1. The incident unfortunately ended Wehrlein’s race, and De Vries was forced into the pits with significant damage, ultimately leading to his retirement. Stewards later deemed De Vries responsible for the collision.

Race leader Mortara maintained his composure, activating his first Attack Mode with 32 minutes remaining on the clock. Once all of the top five drivers had completed their initial Attack Mode activations, their order remarkably remained unchanged. However, Stoffel Vandoorne, now holding a comfortable championship advantage over Evans, began to pile pressure on Da Costa for third place, driving a controlled yet assertive race to protect his championship aspirations.

Safety Car Intervenes, Then Controversy Strikes

Mid-race saw a crucial development as Lucas di Grassi pitted with what appeared to be a puncture, dropping him to 14th position. This effectively secured the Teams’ Championship for Mercedes EQ, adding another layer of success to their final Formula E season. Shortly after, Maximilian Gunther’s Nissan suffered a broken suspension after hitting the wall in the final sector, forcing him to pull off to the side of the track. The Safety Car was deployed to allow for the safe recovery of Gunther’s stranded vehicle, bunching up the field and setting the stage for a dramatic restart.

When the Safety Car pulled in, Mortara led the field away from Dennis, Da Costa, and Vandoorne. The restart immediately saw a flurry of strategic moves as Mortara activated his second Attack Mode, as did Da Costa, who was running in third. With the extra power, Da Costa instantly sought to challenge Dennis for second place, making a bold move around the outside on the approach to Turn 22. It appeared Da Costa had the position, but a controversial tag from Dennis at the apex sent the Techeetah driver skidding into the barrier, dropping him all the way to the back of the field. This incident would prove pivotal.

The race stewards promptly launched an investigation into the collision, eventually handing Jake Dennis a five-second time penalty for his role in the incident. This penalty had significant implications for the podium, effectively promoting Stoffel Vandoorne up to third position on the road. Out front, Edoardo Mortara continued to lead, maintaining a solid gap to the cars behind. As standard race time expired, over six minutes of added time were applied due to the earlier Safety Car period. However, by this point, the leaders were too spread out for any further significant battles for position to materialize, allowing them to manage their energy to the finish line.

Championship Climax: Vandoorne Seals the Deal

Edoardo Mortara navigated the final laps with precision and control, cruising across the finish line a couple of seconds ahead of Jake Dennis to claim a well-deserved victory in the Seoul EPrix. Stoffel Vandoorne crossed the line just another second behind Dennis, securing third place on the road – a result that was more than enough to clinch his very first Formula E World Championship. The celebrations for Vandoorne and his Mercedes EQ team were quickly amplified when Jake Dennis’s five-second time penalty was applied post-race, officially elevating Vandoorne to second place in the final standings of the Seoul EPrix, making his championship triumph even sweeter.

Robin Frijns finished too far back in fourth place to challenge Dennis for the final podium position, while Oliver Askew delivered a strong performance to end his season with a commendable fifth-place finish. Jean-Eric Vergne secured sixth, just ahead of Mitch Evans, who managed to climb up to seventh by the end of the race, a valiant effort but ultimately not enough to deny Vandoorne the title. Nick Cassidy and Sebastien Buemi claimed eighth and ninth respectively, while Antonio Felix da Costa, despite his earlier collision with Dennis, recovered remarkably to snatch the final point in tenth position, a testament to his resilience.

Mercedes EQ’s Farewell Double Championship

The 2022 Seoul EPrix was a momentous occasion not just for Stoffel Vandoorne, but also for his Mercedes EQ team. Their double championship success – securing both the Drivers’ title with Vandoorne and the Teams’ Championship for the second consecutive year – provided a fairy-tale ending to their tenure in Formula E. This spectacular achievement marked their final race in the series, as Mercedes EQ is set to transition into McLaren Electric Racing for the upcoming season. Their legacy in electric racing is now firmly cemented, having dominated the sport’s final Gen2 era.

The 2022 Formula E season will be remembered for its intense championship battle, unpredictable races, and a deserving champion in Stoffel Vandoorne. As the series looks ahead to its Gen3 era, the bar for competition and excitement has been set incredibly high, promising an even more thrilling future for electric motorsport.

2022 Seoul EPrix 2 Race Results:

Position	Driver	Team
1	Edoardo Mortara	Venturi
2	Stoffel Vandoorne	Mercedes
3	Jake Dennis	Andretti
4	Robin Frijns	Envision
5	Oliver Askew	Andretti
6	Mitch Evans	Jaguar
7	Jean-Eric Vergne	DS Techeetah
8	Nick Cassidy	Envision
9	Sebastien Buemi	Nissan EDAMS
10	Antonio Felix da Costa	DS Techeetah
11	Lucas di Grassi	Venturi
12	Alexander Sims	Mahindra
13	Sergio Sette Camara	Dragon Penske
14	Norman Nato	Jaguar
15	Oliver Turvey	Nio
16	Sacha Fenestraz	Dragon Penske
Ret	Max Gunther	Nissan EDAMS
Ret	Nyck de Vries	Mercedes
Ret	Pascal Wehrlein	Porsche
Ret	Dan Ticktum	Nio
Ret	Oliver Rowland	Mahindra
Ret	Andre Lotterer	Porsche