The seven weeks between the previous Formula E event in Diriyah and last weekend’s Sao Paulo E-Prix was a frustrating and unnecessary gap for drivers, teams and fans of the championship to endure. Yet that break paled in comparison to the wait that finally ended when the chequered flag flew in Brazil and Sam Bird at last returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since his victory in New York in July 2021.
Since that win, the Briton’s abilities and commitment to racing had come under severe scrutiny, and his three-year partnership with Jaguar ended last season following lacklustre results. He was offered a lifeline by McLaren for 2024, and the new partnership bore fruit at just the fourth time of asking, with victory in Brazil also signifying the British team’s first in the all-electric championship, which it only entered last season. Arguably more impressive than Bird’s return to winning ways was the manner in which his McLaren Nissan claimed victory, with a daring and risky last-lap pass around the outside that showed the Briton at his very best.
The 37-year-old started from a season-best fifth on the grid, arguably the perfect spot from which to implement a race-winning challenge as the infamous peloton style of racing – sitting
