In a stunning display of skill and strategy, New Zealand's Nick Cassidy drove to victory at the Mexico City E-Prix this Saturday, marking a dream start with his new team, Citroen Racing. The win, however, comes with a hairy consequence—a promise to shave his head, made with teammate Jean-Eric Vergne.
From P13 to Podium: Cassidy's Daring Drive
Starting from a challenging 13th position on the grid at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Cassidy showcased immense courage and tactical brilliance. He managed to overtake polesitter Sebastien Buemi and the rest of the field to secure his first win and second podium finish for Citroen Racing. The podium was completed by Edoardo Mortara in second place and Oliver Rowland in third.
This victory is particularly significant as it is Cassidy's fourth win in five consecutive Formula E races, a testament to his current formidable form. An elated Cassidy, 31, shared his disbelief after the race, praising the electric atmosphere created by the fans in Mexico City.
The Bald Truth: A Deal with Teammate Vergne
The post-race celebrations had an amusing twist. Cassidy revealed he had struck a deal with his two-time champion teammate, Jean-Eric Vergne (JEV), just days before the event. "I made a deal with JEV on Thursday that if I won, I'd shave my head," Cassidy confessed.
His motivation wasn't just about the bet. There's a compelling statistic in Formula E folklore that the winner of the Mexico race often goes on to win the championship. "There's a statistic that whoever wins this race wins the championship, so I wasn't giving that one up," he stated, adding with a laugh, "If we win the championship, I'll shave my head anyway!"
Masterful Strategy Seals the Win
Cassidy attributed his remarkable comeback win to perfect strategy and team execution. He masterfully utilised Formula E's two 50kW all-wheel-drive Attack Mode power boosts at critical moments. He was quick to shift credit to his race engineer for the calculated calls from the pit wall.
"I didn't think until the last lap that we were okay. I was happy with P4 today, starting from P13," Cassidy admitted. "My engineer has always been making the right calls. This one is very much for him... It's the team, the car, the package and the strategy that enabled us to win that race. You can't win this race with a bad car."
As a direct result of this triumph, Nick Cassidy now leads the Formula E Drivers' Championship standings with 40 points. Andretti's Jake Dennis, who won the opening round in Mexico, sits close behind in second place with 36 points.
