Coughton racer Alexander Sims urges Mahindra Racing to finish Formula E season on a high

ALEXANDER Sims has urged Mahindra Racing to finish the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season on a high note after a mixed bag of results at the New York E-Prix.

A puncture late on in round ten scuppered the Coughton racer’s first race of the double-header.

Having started the weekend on the fifth row after setting a time 1:09.892 in qualifying, Sims had been running in the top ten for the first two-thirds of the race.

However, contact with Venturi Racing’s Nortman Nato on lap 28 resulted in a right-rear puncture that forced Sims to pit and retire.

The 33-year-old fought back in round 11 to claim a sixth-placed finish, bringing home eight points for the Mahindra Racing team.

Starting ninth on the grid after posting a time of 1:09.229 in qualifying, a strong start saw Sims move up to eighth where he ran consistently while jostling with the pack.

Having moved up to seventh, Sims then made the most of a last-minute overtake on a slowing Mitch Evans to cross the line in sixth and collect eight points for his efforts.

“Saturday’s race was frustrating. We struggled with pace at the start and we were beginning to claw back positions when there was a racing incident with Nato, which was really unfortunate,” said Sims.

“Sunday’s race was a great improvement and we had a solid result, so I’m pleased. New York is usually a strong race for the team, so we need to understand why we struggled this weekend and keep working hard to finish the season on a high note in London and Berlin.”

Sims next competes in his home race event, the London E-Prix, on 24th-25th July, held on a track that’s been configured to run both outside and inside ExCeL London in the Royal Docks.