Guenther: Maiden Formula E win 'a dream come true'

BMW’s Maximilian Guenther says scoring his maiden Formula E victory in Santiago was “a dream come true” as he became the youngest race winner in the series’ history.

After being passed for the lead with two minutes left in the race, Guenther was able to re-pass DS Techeetah’s Antonio Felix da Costa on the final lap and clinch his maiden E-Prix win.

It marked BMW’s second straight win following Alexander Sims’ success at Diriyah in November, and lifted Guenther up to fourth place in the drivers’ championship.

“Today is a dream come true. I am incredibly happy to take the first win of my Formula E career here in Santiago,” Guenther said following the race.

“Second place in qualifying was superb. Having not made a great start on the dirty side of the track, which cost me a position, we used Attack Mode very cleverly to allow me to take the lead. In the heat, it was also important to keep an eye on the temperature of the batteries. We did that really well.

“On the final lap, Antonio had to coast a little earlier than me on the straight. I thought to myself ‘now or never’ and went for the overtake. Fortunately, it came off.”

The result came one year after Guenther was dropped by Dragon Racing mid-season, and proved to BMW that it was right to put its faith in him following the departure of da Costa at the end of last year.

“It is incredible how maturely and coolly Maximilian drove in only his third Formula E race for our team. He more than deserved the first Formula E win of his career and the title of ‘youngest Formula E winner ever’,” said BMW motorsport boss Jens Marquardt.

“He and the team kept a cool head, particularly in the dramatic closing stages, and judged the situation correctly. We reckoned that António could have cooling problems, and that is exactly what happened. That correct appraisal allowed Max to pull off the fantastic overtaking manoeuvre on the final lap.

“On the whole, we can obviously be extremely happy with two wins and two pole positions in three races, as well as first place in the team competition. Alexander Sims had a tough day today, but he is still right up there. We now have two winning drivers in the Drivers’ Championship, and we will go on the attack with both of them again at the Mexico City E-Prix.”