Sensational strategy sees ERT Formula E Team claim extraordinary top four finish in Misano

The ERT Formula E Team secured a strong haul of points in a strategy-heavy race on Saturday at Misano, in which the team was able to put together a brilliant performance and bounce back from a tough qualifying to get both cars well into the top ten by the chequered flag, before Sérgio Sette Câmara was hit with a post-race penalty

The team went into the weekend with expectations it would be one of the most powertrain sensitive events of the year, and one not necessarily suited to the ERT X24. The team kicked off the race event by fielding World Touring Car champion Mikel Azcona in the rookie test on Friday and gleaning some useful feedback ahead of main sessions.

The practice sessions proved tough for the team, particularly Sette Câmara who was hit with multiple technical issues leaving him short on laps heading in to qualifying. Facing an uphill battle Sergio built up pace but ended the session 11th in Group A experiencing braking inconsistences.

Dan Ticktum had a better run in his qualifying group, finishing up ninth narrowing missing out on higher places after his last lap was compromised slightly by tyre temperature.

With a slow-paced Peloton-style race predicted and the rearward qualifying positions, the team elected to take a conservative start to the race.

Ticktum therefore dropped back and joined Sette Câmara at the rear of the field on the first lap, with both drivers taking their first two-minute Attack Mode deployments on lap three, and then at half-distance they took the remaining six minutes of their Attack Modes ahead of making a push forward through the still compacted field.

With the energy advantage that Ticktum and Sette Câmara had built up, the two drivers began to move forward, and were very quickly knocking on the door of the top ten.

Sette Câmara was the first to break into the points positions with ten laps to go, and from there he and team-mate Ticktum continued to swap places while moving up into the leading group of cars.

At the end of the race, Ticktum and Sette Câmara crossed the line sixth and eighth, immediately promoted to fifth and seventh following a five second time penalty for Jean-Eric Vergne who’d been involved in an earlier collision.

Shortly after the race it was confirmed Sette Câmara had been given a 50-second time penalty for overpower use during a thermal battery derate. Something which gave zero advantage and was incredibly marginal within the rules. A painful blow after an incredibly well executed race.

Following technical inspections Ticktum was promoted to fourth position after race winner Antonio Felix Da Costa was disqualified for a minor technical non conformity.

The fourth place marks an incredible achievement and is ERT Formula E Team’s best result in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since the operation took over the programme in Season 6.

Sérgio Sette Câmara #3

I'm really happy with my race and glad I was able to finish the race in seventh. It's just a shame that afterwards a minor technical issue took our result away, one which didn't bring any performance advantage. We'll bounce back in Sunday's race!

Dan Ticktum #33

It’s a very positive day for me today. We made some good changes from qualifying, and everything went into the right direction. We put together a good strategy and everything just worked, and that’s what can happen. We were cleverer than everybody else with the strategy; I’m surprised other people didn’t do what we did, but we’ve made the most of it. I think tomorrow it might be harder as others might do something similar, but we’ll see.

Russell O'Hagan - Chief Operations Officer / Deputy Team Principal

Where to start, what a frantic race. A very strong result from the team and both drivers in delivering an incredibly strategic and disciplined race after a very challenging morning on track.  We are devastated with Sérgio’s penalty but it’s a championship where you have to maximise everything within incredibly fine margins so from time to time you can fall foul of it. Overall I am very proud of what we achieved collectively yesterday and the P4 is a great reward for everyone's hard work