How brilliant Bird survived the heat to end Formula E win drought in Sao Paulo

Sam Bird broke McLaren's duck with a tactical masterclass to win the Formula E Sao Paulo E-Prix. With energy usage and overheating among the issues that plagued teams in the Brazilian heat, here's how Bird returned to the top after a near three year drought

The seven-week gap 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 the nearly two-month break paled in comparison to the wait that finally ended when the chequered flag flew in Brazil as Sam Bird at last returned to the top step of the podium, having previously done so almost three years ago in New York in July 2021.

Since that win in America, the Briton’s abilities and commitment to racing came under severe scrutiny as a three-year partnership with Jaguar ultimately came to an end last season following lacklustre results.

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Author Stefan Mackley

A proud Yorkshireman, Stefan Mackley is Autosport's National Deputy Editor. Having graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a degree in sports journalism he spent nearly four years working on local newspapers in Wiltshire - during which time he became an NQJ-qualified journalist and cut his teeth covering club racing at Castle Combe in his spare time.

Making the jump into motorsport journalism full-time, he joined the national desk for both Autosport magazine and Motorsport News in 2017 before becoming National Deputy Editor for the former in 2020.

His passion for motorsport stems from watching Formula 1 as a child with his father and is matched only by his love for Star Wars.

A better journalist than racing driver, he has so far competed in the Citroen C1 24 Hours and 116 Trophy with hopes of racing more machinery in 2021 and beyond.