Bird too good again in New York ePrix

Sam Bird has taken his second Formula E race win in as many days in New York as Mitch Evans again failed to finish.

Bird won by 11.3s in his Virgin Racing entry from the Mahindras of Felix Rosenqvist and Nick Heidfeld.

Starting from pole, Bird lost the start to Rosenqvist but ran with the Swede before getting past at Turn 6 on Lap 10.

The Brit emerged with the lead after the field made their pit stops and drove away to an 11.3s victory in the 49-lap race, having also won Race 1 a day earlier.

Rosenqvist immediately came under pressure from Heidfeld after he lost the lead, and while those two positions remained effectively unchanged thereafter, there was still late drama in the battle for the minor places.

Pierre Gasly caught the Mahindras and attempted to round up Heidfeld through the final corner but ended up bouncing between the walls and rolling over the line fourth in a damaged Renault e.dams car.

Lucas di Grassi took more points out of Sebastien Buemi’s championship lead, with Buemi on WEC duties for Toyota at the Nurburgring.

Mitch Evans’ Panasonic Jaguar lasted only five laps before succumbing to a technical problem, after it was contact that brought an early end to the New Zealander’s afternoon in Race 1 of the weekend.

The season will come to a close with another double-header, in Montreal on July 29-30.

Results: FIA Formula E Championship, New York Race 2

Championship Standings