Cassidy brilliance delivers historic Citroën triumph

Nick Cassidy produced a drive of rare intelligence and composure to secure victory in the Mexico City E-Prix, delivering Citroën its first win in Formula E in only the manufacturer’s second appearance in the all-electric championship. Starting a lowly 13th on the grid, the New Zealander carved his way through the field with surgical precision, underlining both his own strategic mastery and the remarkable speed of Citroën’s development since entering the series at the beginning of the 2025/26 season.

Citroën arrived in Mexico encouraged by Cassidy’s third-place finish in the São Paulo season opener, yet few anticipated such an immediate leap to the top step of the podium. On the demanding Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit, Cassidy demonstrated that outright pace was secondary to intelligent energy deployment. His careful conservation of usable energy, combined with a highly unconventional approach to Attack Mode, proved decisive against rivals who appeared stronger on paper.

The tone for a dramatic afternoon was set in qualifying, held during Formula E’s landmark 150th championship race. Taylor Barnard initially topped the times, only to lose his lap for exceeding track limits at the final corner during the duels. Pole position was instead handed to Sébastien Buemi, but the Envision Racing driver’s race quickly unravelled when he misjudged his braking at Turn 1 and escaped into the run-off area. Barnard inherited the lead, although it soon became clear that track position alone would not determine the outcome.

Throughout the race, positions fluctuated constantly as teams weighed the risks of early aggression against the need to preserve energy. Pascal Wehrlein opted for an early commitment, surging from eighth to first by lap five using Attack Mode. However, once his four-minute boost expired, the reigning Porsche champion slipped back through the field, highlighting the vulnerability of a front-loaded strategy.

Cassidy, by contrast, adopted a patient and calculated approach. A mid-race safety car, caused by Nyck de Vries stopping at Turn 1 with a suspected mechanical issue, bunched the field and rewarded those with energy in reserve. Further disruption followed when António Félix da Costa tangled with Maximilian Günther and Dan Ticktum, triggering another yellow flag and reshuffling the order once again.

The decisive moment arrived in the final 13 laps. Cassidy deployed his full eight minutes of Attack Mode in an unusual split—six minutes initially, followed by a shorter two-minute burst—to slice through the pack. Despite sustained pressure from Edoardo Mortara, who retained more Attack Mode for the closing stages, Cassidy’s superior energy efficiency enabled him to defend flawlessly and secure his 12th Formula E victory.

Mortara finished second for Mahindra, while reigning world champion Oliver Rowland claimed third for Nissan after capitalising on a late scrap involving Barnard and Jake Dennis. Wehrlein recovered to sixth, and rookie Pepe Martí impressed with seventh after saving energy for a strong late charge.

Mexico City E-Prix – Top 10

After the race, Cassidy admitted to moments of uncertainty in the closing laps but praised the strategy that underpinned the win. History may yet favour him: the last three winners in Mexico City have gone on to claim the Formula E world title. While Cassidy played down championship expectations, he emphasised Citroën’s extraordinary rate of progress since pre-season testing in Valencia—momentum that now places both driver and team firmly among the season’s genuine title contenders.