Da Costa inherits Portland win from Evans after Cassidy spins · RaceFans

Antonio Felix da Costa won the first Portland EPrix of the weekend after Nick Cassidy threw away victory in the final laps.

The Porsche driver took his third victory in the last four races when Mitch Evans was hit with a five-second time penalty, meaning Da Costa claimed the win despite finishing behind the Jaguar driver.

However, Cassidy lost a near-certain win with two laps remaining when he spun off the track at turn 11 due to an unforced error, dropping well out of the points.

After last season’s Portland EPrix saw some of the most intense pack racing in the ‘Gen3′ era so far, the first race of this weekend was little different. Pole-winner Mitch Evans dropped down to sixth by the end of the second lap, while Norman Nato assumed the early lead.

Front row starter Jake Hughes slipped off the track at turn ten after side-by-side contact with Mitch Evans. He dropped several positions down the order before pulling into the pit lane with a right-rear puncture. The stewards eventually held Evans responsible and handed him a five-second time penalty.

Evans’ team mate and championship leader Nick Cassidy ran in the middle of the pack early on, allowing him to save more energy compared to many of his rivals ahead. Eventually, Cassidy cycled through to the front to take the lead with just under ten laps remaining, but with one additional Attack Mode period to take compared to all the cars around him.

He eventually took that Attack Mode but remained within the top three in second, just ahead of team mate Evans as Antonio Felix da Costa assumed the lead. Cassidy passed the Porsche to take the lead with just over three laps remaining with Evans right behind him, but entering turn 11, Cassidy lost control of his Jaguar and spun off onto the grass, falling down to 19th place.

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Evans took back the lead of the race and took the chequered flag, but the win fell to Da Costa after Evans’ penalty was applied. Robin Frijns was promoted to second as Jean-Eric Vergne finished on the podium in third.

Edoardo Mortara claimed fourth ahead of Nico Muller, Jake Dennis, Sam Bird, Mitch Evans and Stoffel Vandoorne, with Pascal Wehrlein completed the points scorers in tenth. Despite his spin, Cassidy still holds the lead of the championship with 167 points, with Wehrlein still his closest rival, now 24 points adrift.

Race result