Motor racing-Cassidy takes Formula E lead with win in Berlin

FILE PHOTO: Nick Cassidy, Formula E racing driver for the Jaguar TCS Racing team, talks to media at the new technical headquarters of Jaguar TCS Racing in Kidlington, Britain, November 30, 2023. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - Jaguar's Nick Cassidy took the lead in the all-electric Formula E championship on Saturday with a storming victory in the first of two races at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport circuit.

The New Zealander started ninth on the grid, dropped to 21st at the halfway stage and then mounted a late charge to take the lead on lap 43 and secure his second victory in nine races so far.

Cassidy now has 121 points to Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein's 112 and Nissan's Oliver Rowland on 103. Jaguar lead the teams' standings with 210 points to Porsche's 146.

DS Penske's Jean-Eric Vergne was second in Saturday's race, finishing 4.651 seconds behind Cassidy, with Rowland completing the podium and Jaguar's Mitch Evans fourth after battling up from 10th.

Wehrlein was fifth, ahead of teammate Antonio Felix da Costa and DS Penske's Stoffel Vandoorne.

Polesitter Edoardo Mortara was eighth for Mahindra with Nissan's Sacha Fenestraz ninth and McLaren's Taylor Barnard completing the top 10 as replacement for injured Sam Bird.

Barnard, 19, became the youngest points scorer in Formula E history.

The track, with 15 corners, delivered a frenetic race with cars racing three wide and with frequent changes of position and two safety car periods.

"To be honest, it feels really weird to have won today, it's amazing, the team did a good job, but it almost wasn't enjoyable," said Cassidy, who will be hoping for more success on Sunday.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Alex Richardson)