Formula E: For Sebastien Buemi, it’s pole or go home in New York City

Sebastien Buemi must take the pole position for today’s 2018-2019 Formula E season finale to remain championship eligible heading into the race itself.

Nissan e.dams’ Sebastien Buemi needed absolutely everything to go his way in the penultimate race of the 13-race 2018-2019 Formula E season, New York City ePrix Race 1, at Brooklyn Street Circuit to remain mathematically eligible to win the championship heading into today’s season finale at the track.

Buemi entered yesterday’s 36-lap race around the 14-turn, 1.475-mile (2.374-kilometer) Brooklyn Street Circuit temporary street circuit in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York in seventh place in the driver standings as one of eight drivers still mathematically eligible to win the championship.

With a maximum of 58 points on the table through the season’s final two races, including 29 in each race (25 for winning, three for taking the pole position and one for recording the fastest lap), Buemi was still mathematically eligible to win the championship because he trailed DS Techeetah’s Jean-Eric Vergne by 54 points (130 to 76) for the lead of the driver standings.

In addition to winning both races, Buemi needed to collect several bonus points since just 50 points for winning both races would not be enough, and he likely needed to have Vergne not score any points to pull off this miraculous championship upset.

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Well, New York City ePrix Race 1 worked out exactly how Buemi needed it. He took the pole position for this race to score three points and bring himself to 51 points behind Vergne now with a maximum of 55 points on the table.

He then went on to win the race after leading each and every one of its 36 laps to score 25 points, although he did not recorded the fastest lap. Vergne, meanwhile, overcame a first-lap crash to position himself for a ninth place finish (two points) with the bonus point for recording the race’s fastest lap.

Had Vergne held on to this ninth place finish, Buemi would have been mathematically eliminated from championship contention. But on the final lap, Vergne was involved in another crash, and he ended up scoring no points as a result of a 15th place finish. Because he did not finish in the top 10, he did not even score the bonus point for recording the race’s fastest lap.

Now Buemi is within 26 points of Vergne with a maximum of 29 points on the table, and once again, he needs everything to go his way today in New York City ePrix Race 2 to win this championship. He absolutely must win the race, but he needs to do something else to even remain mathematically eligible to win the championship in the race itself.

He absolutely must take the pole position for this race.

If Buemi does not take the pole position for this race, he will trail Vergne by 26 points with a maximum of 26 points on the table, meaning that he could tie him atop the driver standings by winning the race and recording the race’s fastest lap assuming that Vergne finishes outside of the top 10 once again.

However, a tie would not be enough for Buemi to become the first two-time Formula E champion as opposed to Vergne. Vergne has won three races so far this season while Buemi has only won one, so Vergne would win the tiebreaker over Buemi since a victory in the season finale would only be Buemi’s second victory of the season.

It is worth noting that Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s Lucas di Grassi and Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s Mitch Evans are also still mathematically eligible to win the 2018-2019 championship, but they trail Vergne by 22 points and 25 points, respectively, so if Buemi wins the race, he will finish ahead of both of them in the driver standings regardless of where they finish.

So all eyes will be on Sebastien Buemi in today’s qualifying session for the 2018-2019 Formula E season finale, New York City ePrix Race 2, at Brooklyn Street Circuit. If he takes the pole position for this race, he will remain mathematically eligible to win the championship, as he will trail Jean-Eric Vergne by 23 points for the lead of the driver standings heading into it, but if he does not, he will be mathematically eliminated from championship contention before the season finale even starts.

Qualifying is set to by shown on the Fox Sports Go app beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET this afternoon, and the race itself is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. It is scheduled to get underway slightly thereafter beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET.