Formula E news: Sanya ePrix talking points – Bird leads the underdogs, Vergne in trouble
FORMULA E heads to China this weekend for Round Six of the all-electric championship, so what are the hot topics to look out for in Sanya?
Bird flying high
Britain’s Sam Bird may be considered the ‘nearly man’ of Formula E having finished fifth, fourth twice and third in each Driver’s Championship campaign despite winning an ePrix in every season.
The 32-year-old has his best chance yet of success in Season Five as he leads the way in an incredibly tight battle, having been both the hero and the villain so far this year.
With two podiums and a win in the first five races – and three penalties in the other events which have seen him stripped of a victory in one and starting from the back of the grid in the other two – the campaign has certainly been eventful for Bird.
And with tensions reaching boiling point after his collision with Andre Lotterer burst the German’s tyre when set to win the race in Hong Kong, expect plenty of drivers looking to get one over on Bird come race day in Sanya.
Champion in trouble
Despite looking ominously good in the season opener in Ad Diriyah – finishing second after a drive-through penalty – Jean-Eric Vergne has had an awful start to his title defence and pressure is building on the talented Frenchman.
He has failed to score a point since Round Two of the season in Marrakesh and with Chinese team DS Techeetah looking for a positive result in their home race, the weight of expectation will be on their champion driver.
‘JEV’ has remained steadfastly cool in his interviews since Hong Kong and with a tight title race – the top four drivers are separated by two points – Vergne is not out of the picture if he can take the chequered flag in Sanya.
But another race without a point – especially with the car looking so fast under Lotterer’s direction in Hong Kong – may just change the tune of the man who started the season odds-on favourite for the Championship.
Underdogs still rule the yard
Former champion Lucas di Grassi aside in third, the top five positions in the standings are occupied by those unfancied at the start of the year.
Envision Virgin Racing's Bird is hitting top form despite not racing for a factory-backed outfit, while Mahindra's Jerome d'Ambrosio and BMW’s Antonio Felix Da Costa both secured their first wins since Season 1 and sit in the top 5.
Then there is Edoardo Mortara who began the season answering more questions about his new teammate Felipe Massa than his own driving but has quietly built a title challenge in fourth – outperforming his illustrious Venturi teammate.
With five different winners from five different teams in the first five races, Formula E is more difficult to predict than ever so expect the unexpected again when the lights go green in Sanya.
Formula E arrives in Sanya
After visiting the Middle East, Africa and Latin America already this season, street racing returns to China for the first time since Beijing in 2015 – as Sanya becomes the 21st city to stage a Formula E race.
The resort city is on Hainan Island, the ‘Hawaii’ of China, and is a fitting venue for emissions-free electric racing with the best air quality in the whole of China – one of the most important markets for electric vehicles in the world.
The 11-turn 2.236km track will be a “fast one” according to Panasonic Jaguar Racing team boss James Barclay and with body blows, spins and saves in Hong Kong, expect more of the same on-track action in Sanya.
Fans can watch the race live at 7.00am UK time on Saturday morning on the BBC Red Button, BT Sport 1 and Eurosport 1.
The action is also available to stream on the BBC Sport website and iPlayer, while there is also coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.