Nick Cassidy pulled off a strategic masterclass to win the Mexico City E-Prix from 13th on the grid to give Citroen its first Formula E victory in only its second race.
The French marque is new to the all-electric championship in the 2025/26 season and has already made a stellar start, adding to Cassidy's third in the Sao Paulo opener with a win at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
A brilliant energy saving tactic, plus an off-set use of Attack Mode was key to the New Zealander's win and he was joined on the podium by Edoardo Mortara and reigning champion Oliver Rowland.
It capped off a hectic day at the championship's 150th race, which began with qualifying where Taylor Barnard was fastest but a track limit violation at the last corner deleted his lap time in the final duel.
Sebastien Buemi therefore inherited pole, but the Envision driver endured a disastrous start as he misjudged the braking zone and went into the escape road at Turn 1.
Barnard therefore took the race lead, but such an honour changed multiple times in the early stages with drivers focused on saving energy and deciding when to use Attack Mode.
One driver to go early was Pascal Wehrlein, who had jumped from eighth to first come lap five; the Porsche series champion saying that his aim was to control the race from the opening tours, believing overtaking would then prove difficult.
That's the opposite of what transpired though because once his four-minute Attack Mode was over, he quickly dropped down the order with it obvious that the race would be won on strategy.
Nick Cassidy, Citroen Racing e-CX leads Edoardo Mortara, Mahindra Racing Mahindra M12Electro
Photo by: Hector Vivas / Getty Images
Nick Cassidy, Citroen Racing e-CX leads Edoardo Mortara, Mahindra Racing Mahindra M12Electro
Photo by: Hector Vivas / Getty Images
Those who were patient with their Attack Mode and saved their battery for the final stages were ultimately rewarded, firstly thanks to a yellow flag turned safety car between laps 17 and 20.
This happened because Nyck de Vries went off at Turn 1 with what appeared to be a mechanical issue sending him into the run-off area.
There was then another yellow flag on lap 25 after Antonio Felix da Costa, while defending from Cassidy on the inside, collided into Maximilian Gunther who then spun and knocked da Costa into Dan Ticktum at Turns 5 and 6.
This was a battle for the lower positions of the top 10, so much of Cassidy's recovery drive had come in the final 13 laps. Those 13 laps included the Citroen driver using his full eight-minute Attack Mode, beginning with a six-minute stint.
Having only two minutes of the extra power tool left did make him somewhat vulnerable to second-placed Mortara - who had four minutes remaining - by the time Cassidy had reached the front, but he'd utilised his energy better than his Mahindra rival.
It created a tense fight for the win late on and Mortara threw everything at it, but brilliant defending from Cassidy gave him a 12th series win. Such a close fight also allowed others to close and Rowland was beneficiary of that, having overtaken Barnard, who finished fourth, and fifth-placed Jake Dennis late on.
Wehrlein ultimately finished sixth with Pepe Marti seventh; the Kiro rookie being another to have profited from saving much of his battery until the final laps. The remaining points paying positions went to Jean-Eric Vergne, Nico Muller and Norman Nato.
It all leaves Cassidy at the top of the standings and if history suggests anything, then he will become world champion: the last three Mexico City E-Prix winners have gone on to claim the title.
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