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Just seven drivers have taken part in all 33 Formula E races. Of those venerable few, only one has switched teams from the one with which he began the championship.
For two and a half seasons, Stephane Sarrazin had been an integral part of the Venturi set-up. But in the gap between the races in Paris and Berlin this year the opportunity arose to join his friend and fellow Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne at TECHEETAH.
A deal was struck allowing him to leave his Venturi contract and switch to the championship’s newest team. It meant that his season could be clearly divided into two parts.
Part 1: Venturi, started and ended with Sarrazin finishing in 10th place (Beijing and Paris) and bagging a point. In between there was a long barren spell during which he failed to either start or finish in the top 10.
Part 2: TECHEETAH, started and coincided with its worst showing of the season as the team struggled to come to terms with the unique demands of the Tempelhof track. But things improved dramatically next time out in New York.
An error in qualifying meant he started 11th, but in the race he charged his way forward to take third place, and with Vergne finishing second, it was the team’s first ever double podium.
The improvement carried on into Montreal, where Sarrazin ensured Vergne was out-qualified by his team-mate for the only time in the season by bagging a front row starting spot for Race 1. In the race Vergne was in inspired form, securing TECHEETAH’s maiden win, but once again Sarrazin was on the podium in third.
He had the pace to repeat that in the finale, but was tapped into a spin on the opening lap. He recovered to eighth. In six races with Venturi he’s scored two points, in six TECHEETAH outings he scored 34, which was enough to earn him a place in the top 10 of the championship