# 2023 Cape Town ePrix

The 2023 Cape Town ePrix was a Formula E electric car race was held at the Cape Town Street Circuit in the city of Cape Town in Western Cape, South Africa on 25 February 2023. It served as the fifth round of the 2022–23 Formula E season and it was the first Formula E race held in Sub-Saharan Africa.

## Background
### History

Initially planned to be held in 2022, the race was canceled for unknown reasons likely related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though not initially featured on the 2023 calendar, it was introduced after the cancellation of the Seoul ePrix.

### Track

A 2.94 kilometres (1.83 mi) long street circuit was laid out in Cape Town's Waterfront district, near Signal Hill. The track was believed to be "one of the fastest on the calendar". In total, the track had 12 turns.

### Championship standings

Pascal Wehrlein entered the fifth round of the season as the points leader in the Drivers' Championship by 18 points after Jake Dennis, who was only 6 points behind going into Hyderabad did not finish after having his rear wing clipped by René Rast. TAG Heuer Porsche leads the Teams' Championship by 23 points over Avalanche Andretti.

## Summary

After Lucas di Grassi suffered a rear suspension failure in practice, all four Mahindra M9Electro chassis were withdrawn from the event with concerns about defective wishbones. Sam Bird crashed in qualifying and did not start the race.

## Classification

(All times in SAST)

### Qualifying

Qualifying took place at 11:40AM on 25 February.
Group draw :
| Group A | WEH | BUE | HUG | DIG | EVA | DAC | FEN | VAN | GUE | ROW | SET |
| Group B | DEN | BIR | RAS | LOT | CAS | JEV | MOR | TIC | NAT | MUE | VDL |

#### Qualifying duels

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| A3 | Nick Cassidy | Nick Cassidy | | | | | | |
| A2 | Pascal Wehrlein | Pascal Wehrlein | | | | | | |
| A2 | Pascal Wehrlein | Pascal Wehrlein | Sacha Fenestraz | Sacha Fenestraz | Sacha Fenestraz | | | |
| | | | Nick Cassidy | Nick Cassidy | Nick Cassidy | | | |
| A4 | Sacha Fenestraz | Sacha Fenestraz | Nick Cassidy | Nick Cassidy | Nick Cassidy | | | |
| A1 | Jean-Éric Vergne | Jean-Éric Vergne | | | | | | |
| A1 | Jean-Éric Vergne | Jean-Éric Vergne | | | | Sacha Fenestraz | Sacha Fenestraz | Sacha Fenestraz |
| | | | | | | Maximilian Günther | Maximilian Günther | Maximilian Günther |
| B3 | Mitch Evans | Mitch Evans | | | | | | | Maximilian Günther | Maximilian Günther | Maximilian Günther |
| B2 | Sébastien Buemi | Sébastien Buemi | | | | | | |
| B2 | Sébastien Buemi | Sébastien Buemi | Maximilian Günther | Maximilian Günther | Maximilian Günther | | | |
| | | | Mitch Evans | Mitch Evans | Mitch Evans | | | |
| B4 | Maximilian Günther | Maximilian Günther | Mitch Evans | Mitch Evans | Mitch Evans | | | |
| B1 | René Rast | René Rast | | | | | | |

#### Overall classification

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | A | B | QF | SF | F | Grid |
| 1 | 23 | Sacha Fenestraz | Nissan | 1:08:994 | — | 1:08:467 | 1:08:357 | 1:07:848 | 1 |
| 2 | 7 | Maximilian Günther | Maserati | — | 1:09:050 | 1:08:740 | 1:08:212 | 1:08.270 | 2 |
| 3 | 37 | Nick Cassidy | Envision-Jaguar | 1:09:007 | — | 1:08:446 | 1:08:465 | — | 3 |
| 4 | 9 | Mitch Evans | Jaguar | — | 1:09:025 | 1:08:429 | 1:08.568 | — | 4 |
| 5 | 25 | Jean-Éric Vergne | DS | 1:09:139 | — | 1:08.520 | — | — | 5 |
| 6 | 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | Porsche | 1:09:100 | — | 1:08:598 | — | — | 6 |
| 7 | 58 | René Rast | McLaren-Nissan | — | 1:08:844 | 1:08:962 | — | — | 10 |
| 8 | 16 | Sébastien Buemi | Envision-Jaguar | — | 1:09:040 | 1:11.937 | — | — | 7 |
| 9 | 33 | Dan Ticktum | NIO | 1:09:171 | — | — | — | — | 8 |
| 10 | 10 | Sam Bird | Jaguar | — | 1:09:217 | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | 17 | Norman Nato | Nissan | 1:09:263 | — | — | — | — | 9 |
| 12 | 27 | Jake Dennis | Andretti-Porsche | — | 1:09:265 | — | — | — | 14 |
| 13 | 13 | António Félix da Costa | Porsche | 1:09:441 | — | — | — | — | 11 |
| 14 | 1 | Stoffel Vandoorne | DS | — | 1:09:500 | — | — | — | 12 |
| 15 | 5 | Jake Hughes | McLaren-Nissan | 1:09:493 | — | — | — | — | 13 |
| 16 | 48 | Edoardo Mortara | Maserati | — | 1:15:775 | — | — | — | PL |
| 17 | 36 | André Lotterer | Andretti-Porsche | 1:09:975 | — | — | — | — | 15 |
| 18 | 3 | Sérgio Sette Câmara | NIO | 1:10:083 | — | — | — | — | 16 |
| Source: ||||||||||

### Race

The race began at 16:03 on 25 February.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 13 | António Félix da Costa | Porsche | 32 | 42:25:403 | 11 | 25 |
| 2 | 25 | Jean-Éric Vergne | DS | 32 | +0.281 | 5 | 18+1 |
| 3 | 37 | Nick Cassidy | Envision-Jaguar | 32 | +1.808 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 58 | René Rast | McLaren-Nissan | 32 | +2.208 | 10 | 12 |
| 5 | 16 | Sébastien Buemi | Envision-Jaguar | 32 | +2.656 | 7 | 10 |
| 6 | 33 | Dan Ticktum | NIO | 32 | +3.209 | 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 1 | Stoffel Vandoorne | DS | 32 | +4.210 | 12 | 6 |
| 8 | 17 | Norman Nato | Nissan | 32 | +8.582 | 9 | 4 |
| 9 | 36 | André Lotterer | Andretti-Porsche | 32 | +8.755 | 15 | 2 |
| 10 | 5 | Jake Hughes | McLaren-Nissan | 32 | +10.475 | 13 | 1 |
| 11 | 9 | Mitch Evans | Jaguar | 32 | +14.183 | 4 | |
| 12 | 3 | Sérgio Sette Câmara | NIO | 32 | +14.914 | 16 | |
| 13 | 27 | Jake Dennis | Andretti-Porsche | 32 | +38.846 | 14 | |
| NC | 23 | Sacha Fenestraz | Nissan | 31 | Accident | 1 | 0+3 |
| Ret | 7 | Maximilian Günther | Maserati | 20 | Accident | 2 | |
| Ret | 48 | Edoardo Mortara | Maserati | 1 | Accident | PL | |
| Ret | 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | Porsche | 0 | Accident | 6 | |
| DNS | 10 | Sam Bird | Jaguar | 0 | Did Not Start | | |
| Source: ||||||||
Notes:
* ^1 – Pole position.
* ^2 – Fastest lap.
* ^3 – Started from the pit lane.

#### Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Pascal Wehrlein | 80 |
| | 2 | Jake Dennis | 62 |
| | 3 | Jean-Éric Vergne | 50 |
| 5 | 4 | António Félix da Costa | 46 |
| | 5 | Nick Cassidy | 43 |
| | Pos | Constructor | Points |
| | 1 | Porsche | 126 |
| 1 | 2 | Envision-Jaguar | 84 |
| 1 | 3 | Andretti-Porsche | 80 |
| | 4 | McLaren-Nissan | 66 |
| 1 | 5 | DS | 61 |
* Notes: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

## Impact

It was estimated by a city councillor that around R 2,000,000,000 would be brought to Cape Town from the event and those travelling to the city for the event. As well as being held in conjuction with the African Green Economy Summit, the event was on the same weekend as the 2023 Kyalami 9 Hours.