Bird has Hong Kong E-Prix win taken away - was it a fair decision?

Joas van Wingerden Sunday 10 March 2019 13:09

Sam Bird had his victory at the Hong Kong E-Prix taken away after stewards punished the Virgin Racing driver for causing a collision with Andre Lotterer while vying for the lead. But was the decision fair? Opinion was certainly split in the immediate aftermath.

Edoardo Mortara inherited the victory, ensuring the first five races of the 2018-19 season have been won by five different drivers.

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Bird, winner in Santiago earlier this year, had appeared to have come out on top, but only after a tense battle with Lotterer left the DS Techeetah man with a costly puncture when he was leading.

After a long wait for official confirmation, Bird was given a five-second time penalty, and lost the win as a result. Check out the incident below and let us know if you agree with the decision on Facebook or Twitter.

The moment Sam Bird made his move.
Was it fair though. It's under investigation? Thoughts?https://t.co/TxuKHaiWpV #BBCFormulaE pic.twitter.com/8uJmuTOBWa — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 10, 2019

Sam Bird wins the 2019 HKT Hong Kong E-Prix but is under investigation for contact with @Andre_Lotterer #HKEPrix pic.twitter.com/xMzgo0qSZh — ABB Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) March 10, 2019

YOUR REACTIONS

#FormulaE I think #Bird is a great driver, but his victory in #HongKongEPrix was not fair. Sorry to say, but a driver that causes a collision (with #Lotterer leader at the time) and then wins thanks to that maneuver... is not sport for me. @FIAFormulaE — Giorgio Ferrara (@giorgioferrara) March 10, 2019