Having returned from a disappointing fight in Mexico City, Faraday Future Dragon Racing suffered another upsetting weekend at the Monaco ePrix.
The team was in high spirits after varying setups showcased promising results for both Loïc Duval and Jérôme D’Ambrosio. However, technical issues started to appear in qualifying, with the Belgian driver returning to the pits before completing a 200kW lap. His French team-mate exceeded the number of permitted laps. As a result both drivers had to start the race in tenth and last row.
As overtaking is virtually impossible in the narrow streets of Monte-Carlo, the team was left without opportunities for the race. Nevertheless Duval and D’Ambrosio gained momentum within the first turns of the 51-lap long race. An early pitstop during a full-course caution period provided an excellent approach to move ahead of the field.
Unfortunately, issues reappeared on both of the second cars in the second stint. D’Ambrosio suffered from a powertrain malfunction shortly after his pitstop, whilst Duval experienced a regenerative braking issue, resulting in neither of the two drivers finishing the race.
“It’s unfortunate to see the same issue spring up twice in one day. But we have to work together as a team to move forward. As a driver, you always want to be first but it’s also essential to help the team stay positive when hitches appear”, D’Ambrosio told.
“Since the onset of the season, there’s always been a problem of concern, but we’ve remained optimistic by finding solutions. It was hard to find pace this weekend with minimal overtaking opportunities, but we still have an additional seven rounds to the championship season to improve”, Duval pointed out.
The American squad will push forward into development efforts and will maintain positive outlooks until then, as they are now moving ahead to the Paris ePrix on May 20th.
