Mortara led away from pole Dennis and Da Cost running two by two through the first sector – the Brit able to hold on to P2. At Turn 13, Dennis forced Mortara onto the defensive and Rowland sneaked by up the inside of the Mahindra in the process – the race lead for the reigning champion.
Buemi hit the front on Lap 4, with a leap from fourth around the outside of Rowland at the hairpin – the top six shuffling as drivers sought to look after energy.
Lap 5 and Buemi ceded the lead back to Rowland – with da Costa also making it by the Envision.
Come Lap 8, Rowland was backing the pack up some five seconds a lap slower than Buemi had dictated from the front earlier on – the Swiss briefly swapped spots with Rowland briefly, but the Nissan driver took P1 back at hairpin a lap later before da Costa again cycled to P1 on Lap 10.
Lap 11 saw di Grassi become the first to take the initial of two mandatory 50kW, all wheel drive Attack mode boosts, while Mortara took first position.
Rowland jumped for Attack on Lap 16, with the lead changing hands ever regularly – Buemi now out front with Mortara, da Costa and di Grassi in-behind.
Ticktum then made it past Rowland with the CUPRA KIRO making expert use of Attack – though he was still 2.5 seconds back from da Costa who’s made a break for it as it all kicked off behind.
Rowland was the first to take his second Attack Mode with the laps ticking down. Buemi and Mortara, dropping to fourth and fifth behind the Nissan driver, who was chasing Ticktum and da Costa – the Portuguese managing to jump through the activation zone while retaining the lead.
Da Costa led Ticktum, Rowland, Buemi, Mortara, Marti, Wehrlein, Evans, Vergne and di Grassi with four laps to run.
Rowland managed to make use of an Attack Mode overlap to take second from Ticktum, with Buemi also passing the Cupra Kiro driver before dispatching Rowland later that same lap.
Da Costa had checked out – leading the field home by some 3.5 seconds. Buemi held Rowland for P2.
Jordan's Track Talk 
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