Mercedes-EQ Silver Arrow 02 (2020-21) - Gen2 Season 7

In the hands of Dutchman Nyck de Vries and Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, the Mercedes-EQ Silver Arrow 02 powered the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team to their first ABB FIA Formula E World Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, making history as the first Double World Champions in the sport. After a dramatic finale to an incredibly competitive season, which saw eighteen drivers and ten teams still eligible for the Championship titles heading into the final race weekend, Nick de Vries emerged the victor and became the youngest champion in the history of Formula E in just his and the team’s second season of competition.

Complications caused by Covid-19 delayed and eventually cancelled the introduction of the Gen2 EVO, so the Mercedes-EQ Silver Arrow 02 instead was built upon the existing Spark Gen2 platform. Much more powerful than the previous generation, the Gen2 car was equipped with a 56-kWh battery supplied by McLaren Applied Technologies pushed to 250 kw (or 335bhp). The car could accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in just 2.8 seconds, with a potential top speed of 174 mph (280 km/h).

Season 7 was fiercely competitive, with eleven different race winners from seven teams across the fifteen races; all with ambition to be crowned the first Formula E World Champions, as the sport was bestowed the status by the FIA. De Vries started the season strongly, earning pole position and taking the victory at the opener in Saudi Arabia. Vandoorne, starting fifteenth after a poor qualifying set him up, recovered well to claim points in eighth. Both Mercedes-EQ drivers struggled in qualifying for the second race in Diriyah but, while Vandoorne was unable to salvage something this time, De Vries finish in ninth and claimed the fastest lap of the race. Another double-header followed in Rome and started positively: Vandoorne took pole position and De Vries started eighth. However, a collision with the Porsche of André Lottere span the polesitter back into the pack and, to compound the team’s misery on the day, Vandoorne and De Vries collided after taking evasive action to avoid a slowing Audi with a terminal technical issue, forcing retirements for both from fourth and fifth position. Vandoorne bounced back the following day, storming to victory after starting in fourth. De Vries unfortunately retired again after another collision, this time with the Jaguar of Sam Bird and e.dams-Nissan’s Oliver Rowland. Two race weekends later, the Dutchman was to chalk up win number two in Valencia, temporarily regaining the overall lead of the Championship. Vandoorne took a surprising third position from the back of the grid, after his qualifying times were cancelled after a tyre infringement. The race end was mired in controversary after seven cars were disqualified or failed to finish due to energy overuse but, due to careful energy management, the Mercedes-EQ team were in the perfect place to capitalise. Round 6, also in Valencia, was a more sobering one for the team: both drivers failed to score any points after qualifying eighteenth and nineteenth. Vandoorne was as high as tenth before being squeezed between the e.dams-Nissan of Sebastian Buemi and the wall, necessitating his retirement. Round 7 was a disappointment for the team, despite the glamorous setting of Monaco, as the team suffered another double retirement.

The duo picked up some points in the first Puebla ePrix, Vandoorne claiming seventh and De Vries ninth. Vandoorne’s performance was particularly remarkable considering he started on the back row of the grid in twenty-third position, though De Vries also impressed after climbing up the order from sixteenth. Neither driver was able to repeat the feat in the second of two races in Mexico, De Vries being particularly unlucky after compatriot Robin Frijns locked up his Virgin-Audi and collided with the Mercedes-EQ car, forcing its retirement. Rounds 10 and 11 were frustrating for the two drivers, as neither scored a single point after difficult qualifying sessions. With only four races remaining, Vandoorne and De Vries were twelfth and eighteenth in the Drivers’ Championship respectively. The team visited London for rounds 11 and 12, where two runner-up spots catapulted De Vries back to the top of the standings. Vandoorne claimed points after finishing seventh in the first race, before claiming anther pole position for race two. He was remained in prime position to win the race before Oliver Rowland misjudged his entry speed and crashed into the Belgian, spoiling his race.

The season’s final two races were again hosted by Berlin Tempelhof Airport and, with eighteen drivers and ten teams still in mathematical contention for the titles, the circuit promised drama. The weekend started poorly for the Mercedes-EQ team, as both drivers failed to pick up any points during Round 14. The concluding contest of the season used the reverse circuit layout, and Vandoorne took a fantastic pole position, whilst De Vries lined up in thirteenth position. During an extraordinary race, De Vries saw his two closest rivals, the Venturi-Mercedes of Edoardo Mortara and Mitch Evans, collide before the start line after Evans’ Jaguar failed to start and, immediately after the restart, fellow contender Jake Dennis crashed his BMW-Andretti at the first corner. De Vries climbed up the positions, reaching as high as third before an error forced him wide at corner and dropped him the grasp of the chasing pack, narrowly avoiding an incident with his teammate and Lotterer that would have destroyed the team’s and his own title aspirations. Vandoorne had dropped behind as low as sixth, before recovering to third position. With less than three minutes left on the clock, De Vries attempted a move up the inside of Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein, colliding with the wall and bending his steering column. Shortly afterwards, De Vries barely avoiding colliding with two battling Porsches and a Mahrindra ahead, instead receiving contact from Jean-Eric Vergne’s Techettah-DS behind and losing a position to Jaguar’s Sam Bird. The Dutchman nursed his car home in eighth, whilst Vandoorne claimed the final podium spot and sealed Mercedes-EQ’s first Formula E title by just four points. It had been an emotional rollercoaster of a race, let alone a season, but one that ended with De Vries as the first winner of the Drivers' Championship at the age of 26 years and 190 days, the youngest champion the series has seen so far, and after only 26 E-Prix starts.

Overall, the Mercedes-EQ Silver Arrow 02 scored three victories, four further podiums, three pole positions and four fastest laps, earning 181 points and collecting the Driver’s and Constructors’ Championships.

The Mercedes-EQ Silver Arrow 02 is limited to just 50 pieces.

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