Buemi triumphs with intelligence in Monaco E Prix, from Rowland and Cassidy

Jessica Alfieri
8 hours ago
4 min read

Written by Jessica Alfieri

The second race of the Monaco E Prix weekend was filled with strategy, tension and drama. Light rain at the start and limited grip made this a particularly tactical E-Prix, featuring tough overtakes, mistakes and decisive choices around Attack Mode. Here’s the full recap, driver by driver.

Buemi, Nato, Maloney at the Monaco E-Prix 2025 — Credit: Ryan Fleming

The Podium Trio: Experience, Recovery and Control

Sébastien Buemi – Winner: A veteran’s drive: Buemi was among the first to activate Attack Mode, then authoritatively passed António Félix Da Costa and later Maximilian Günther. He maintained solid pace, stayed out of trouble and capitalised on the battles behind to build a lead of over three seconds. His first victory since 2021, coming fittingly in Monaco, where the former champion had already won twice.

Oliver Rowland – 2nd Place: Got a brilliant start and led the early stages, before being passed by Vergne in the tunnel. He regained the place on lap six but ran wide attempting to overtake Nyck de Vries, losing ground. Later, he touched Jean-Éric Vergne in another battle and cut the chicane to get ahead, but had to give the place back. In the end, he secured second place by managing his final Attack Mode smartly.

Nick Cassidy – 3rd Place: Starting further back, Cassidy fought forward with determination. He made contact with de Vries, who nearly pushed him into the wall, but managed to overtake both him and Da Costa. He claimed the final podium spot and the fastest lap. A solid drive in a difficult period for Envision Racing, who hadn’t reached the top five all season.

Key Players Just Off the Podium

António Félix Da Costa – Fights to the end: The Portuguese racer passed Stoffel Vandoorne on lap 15 and stayed in the top six throughout. He battled Cassidy for the final podium spot despite having less energy. Refused to settle for fourth but couldn’t quite manage a late move. Determined and aggressive – he knows every point matters in the title chase.

Nyck De Vries – Early protagonist: Strong start and able to keep pace with the leaders early on. He was overtaken by Buemi and Oliver Rowland, then clashed with Cassidy. Though he dropped positions in the latter stages, it was a marked improvement from recent seasons.

Jean-Éric Vergne – Brilliant at times, Limited by energy: Pulled off a clean overtake on Rowland in the tunnel and tried to keep the field compact to benefit from the chaos. He was later involved in scraps with Rowland and De Vries, and dropped down as a result of poor braking regeneration on the drying track. Pascal Wehrlein – Eyes on the championship: Despite a difficult weekend for Porsche, he gained ground using “Strap Two” mode, overtaking Mitch Evans, Norman Nato and Jake Hughes after contact between them. The German valuable points to stay in the title fight – he entered Monaco 37 points behind Rowland.

David Beckmann – Penalised: One of the first to activate Attack Mode. He was unintentionally hit by Hughes, leading to a five-second penalty after investigation. A pivotal incident in the middle phase of the race.

Stoffel Vandoorne: Having been overtaken by da Costa and others during the first half of the race, the Belgian faded away in the fight for big points. Not a factor in the key moments and struggled to keep up with the front-runners.

Other Notable Mentions

Evans, Dan Ticktum, Nato and Lucas Di Grassi were among the most unfortunate drivers in Monaco. Evans hit the wall after contact with Wehrlein, Ticktum retired after hitting the barrier while trying to overtake Cassidy, and Nato – one of the first to take Attack Mode – lost ground amid chaos and contact.

Di Grassi crashed early into the barriers, triggering the first Full Course Yellow (FCY). Nico Müller also retired following a heavy crash on lap 13 that brought out the Safety Car (SC), capping off a troubled weekend after Saturday's Pit Boost issue.

Hughes was involved in multiple incidents under investigation (including with Beckmann and Evans) but failed to score. Zane Maloney and Taylor Barnard were both handed five-second penalties for track limits violations and were never really in the race.

Final Thoughts

The race was extended by one lap due to a full course yellow and a safety car period, which affected energy levels and late-race strategy. The additional point for fastest lap went to third-placed Cassidy, capping off an excellent recovery.

Attack Mode strategy proved decisive, with those activating early often rewarded. Track conditions were ever-changing — damp at the start, dry at the end — adding another layer of tactical complexity. In the closing laps, the drivers pushed hard, but Buemi stayed calm under pressure, holding off Rowland to take a well-earned and long-awaited win.