CUPRA KIRO surges from 21st to fourth in Shanghai
CUPRA KIRO executes strong recovery drive to finish fourth at the Shanghai E-Prix, just 0.3 seconds short of the podium
CUPRA KIRO executed a strong recovery drive in the first part of the double-header 2025 Shanghai E-Prix, with Dan Ticktum rising from 21st to finish fourth, narrowly missing out on a second consecutive podium by just 0.3 seconds.
After struggling with tyre temperatures, Dan qualified 22nd but started from 21st while team-mate, David Beckmann, advanced to the duels for the second time this season to start eighth.
Dan and David prioritised energy conservation during the opening phase, and after taking Pit Boost on laps 18 and 17 respectively, used Attack Mode to battle into the top 10 during the final stages.
Thanks to a patient and well-executed strategy, Dan and the team fought into the podium positions on lap 28. A last corner, three-car scrap for second narrowly cost Dan a podium, but by finishing fourth, still delivered a very impressive result.
Quotes at a Glance
Alex Hui: “Dan put in one of the drives of the season today.”
Dan Ticktum: “We should have had a podium if it wasn’t for some questionable driving by others.”
David Beckmann: “I’m happy with the car, the pace is good and tomorrow will be totally different.”
Russell O’Hagan: “A slightly bittersweet result today but finishing fourth after starting from 21st is an incredible achievement.”
Alex Hui, Team Principal, CUPRA KIRO
“Dan put in one of the drives of the season today, and given the situation we were facing after Qualifying, I think we can be very happy with fourth. Coming into this weekend, we knew that Shanghai’s configuration wouldn’t fully cater to the strengths of our package, but we focused on the task at hand to deliver the result that we all wanted. Of course, it’s frustrating to miss out on the podium, especially after coming so close to back-to-back top three finishes but being able to say that we’re slightly disappointed with fourth is a good thing. It shows that fighting for silverware is becoming the new normal for us and after seeing the progress we’ve made this season, it fills me with pride to be able to say that. On the other side, David did a good job today and we know that it’s only a matter of time before he finishes inside the top 10 – he’s on the verge of a big result. We have another race tomorrow, which is shaping up to be wet and now, our full focus is on executing that to the best of our abilities.”
Dan Ticktum, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“I wasn’t expecting to get much out of today after Qualifying. In Qualifying, I must have had a rubbish set of tyres because I had no pace at all, but we should have started inside the top 10. Starting from 21st meant that we had to come up with a different strategy and we pulled it off very, very well. I did my job, the team did their job, and we should have had a podium if it wasn’t for some questionable driving by others. I’m proud of the team, I feel like we’re getting there, and more often than not now, we seem to be fighting at the sharp end. Onto tomorrow.”
David Beckmann, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“We had a good performance in Qualifying today with eighth, but unfortunately, we finished 14th in the race. I struggled with our strategy today, and with a longer Attack Mode at the end, I think we could have been ninth or 10th, but that’s something we can learn from. I’m happy with the car, the pace is good, and tomorrow it will most likely rain, meaning that the race will be totally different. We need to do a good job and get into the points.”
Russell O’Hagan, Chief Operating Officer, CUPRA KIRO
“A slightly bittersweet result today but finishing fourth after starting from 21st is an incredible achievement, particularly in a Pit Boost race where extreme strategies without caution periods very rarely yield big position gains. Dan and the team executed the race faultlessly and delivered a well-practiced energy saving strategy to great effect. David did a good job to make it into the duels for a second time this season, but sadly, things didn’t go his way in the race. I’m sure we’ll only see more strong performances from him in the future.”
