The traits behind Vandoorne's triumphant Formula E title charge

The odds were heavily stacked in Stoffel Vandoorne’s favour to capture the Formula E crown at the Seoul finale, but chief rival Mitch Evans applied maximum pressure with victory in the first race. It meant Vandoorne had to show his resolve to reproduce the key qualities he held all season to complete his march to the title

In a Formula E round preceded by a Pikachu parade, it was fitting that Saturday's race was preceded by a clap of thunder that sonorously carved its way through Seoul's Sports Complex. While Mitch Evans was surely hoping that the pack of Pokemon mascots would be a harbinger of a shock result in South Korea, nothing could steal Stoffel Vandoorne's thunder. Ultimately, the Belgian flew back to his home in Monaco as a worthy world champion, his consistency and near ever-presence in the points through the year underpinning a successful campaign.

The 36-point buffer he held over Evans heading into the final round of the 2022 season proved to be a sufficient float. It put the onus on the Kiwi to win at least one of the two races in Seoul and hope for a collapse of catastrophic proportions for Vandoorne and Mercedes. To require that from one of Formula E's most consistent driver and team combinations underlines the uphill challenge Evans had on his plate.

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Author Jake Boxall-Legge

Jake Boxall-Legge Autosport’s Technical Editor. Having studied Automotive Engineering with Motorsport at the University of Hertfordshire, West Country-born Jake's original ambition was to design racing cars. During a year between studies in which he accidentally rekindled a love of writing, he took up a Master's in Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes. Halfway through his master's year, he was offered a place on the Autosport Academy, conducting occasional freelance duties before becoming the press officer for Formula 2 and GP3 in 2018. Autosport offered him a return to the fold later that year to serve as its Technical Editor. His voice appears on a number of videos and podcasts, and can often be found writing about terrible Formula 1 cars in excruciating detail. In his spare time, Jake enjoys baking and blames his failure to make it past the Great British Bake-Off interviews on his tenuous grasp on choux pastry. His dream is to open a brunch cafe - and his willingness to make outrageous puns in inappropriate situations has earned him the contempt of his colleagues.