Wehrlein Victory Caps Wild Formula E Misano E-Prix Doubleheader
Pascal Wehrlein clinches victory in Round 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the Misano E-Prix.
Wehrlein's sixth Formula E career win follows Oliver Rowland's last-lap energy management issue, securing a triumphant comeback for TAG Heuer Porsche.
Reigning champion Jake Dennis claims second place for Andretti Formula E Team, while Nick Cassidy of Jaguar TCS Racing secures third.
In another dramatic day at the Misano E-Prix, Pascal Wehrlein of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team won the second race of the weekend after an intense battle for Round 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Wehrlein's consistent performance positioned him for victory, and he capitalized after Oliver Rowland's hopes for victory went away in the final lap when he ran out of energy.
Wehrlein made amends for TAG Heuer Porsche’s painful Saturday that saw the team’s win taken away for a technical infraction. His first-place trophy from Round 7 is the sixth of his Formula E career.
“It goes quickly from zero to hero, we know that in Formula E,” he said. “I think we had the pace this weekend to win both races. Unfortunately, yesterday with these kinds of races I was a bit of a victim with my front wing and then being at the back, but today was a big redemption for us.”
Reigning ABB FIA Formula E World Champion Jake Dennis of the Andretti Formula E Team secured a commendable second place after starting ninth, while Jaguar TCS Racing's Nick Cassidy clinched third place at the flag by 5 hundredths of a second, in front of a 25,000-strong crowd. Following yesterday’s results of a post-win disqualification, Wehrlein’s teammate António Félix da Costa, who lost the win Saturday, suffered another stroke of misfortune as an early shunt ended in retirement.
Through the 26 laps of the Misano E-Prix, the TAG Heuer Porsche driver maintained a significant energy reserve over his competitors, including early leader Jake Hughes and contenders Jean-Eric Vergne and Nico Müller. However, a late surge from Nissan's Oliver Rowland saw him snatch the lead on Lap 20, challenging Wehrlein's seemingly unbeatable advantage.
Despite Porsche's initial confidence in Wehrlein's energy management, a last-minute notification of powertrain derating dashed hopes of a successful challenge on the final lap.
Yet, fortune favored Wehrlein as Rowland encountered technical issues, forcing his Nissan to slow to a crawl mere moments from the finish line, allowing Wehrlein to claim victory in Round 7 after the team's disappointment in Round 6.
Wehrlein's triumph has him tied with Dennis at the top of the Drivers' standings, with previous leader Rowland falling to third. Meanwhile, Jaguar TCS Racing leads the Teams' table by a significant margin.
“Yesterday would have been better to win but I’m very happy about the race today,” he said. “It was quite chaotic again in the beginning until mid-race. I wasn't sure if I should stay in the lead or let Oli [Rowland] through the pace. His pace seemed a bit weird and too fast to try and defend so I didn’t defend him much. I was a bit surprised by his energy, I wasn't sure if the team had the correct information or not. But in the end, it proved to be the right thing to do. It was a lot of managing; the energy, the battery, the tires. Just everything.”
The next race in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is Round 8 of the 2024 Monaco E-Prix on Saturday April 27th.
ABB FIA Formula E Series
Misano E-Prix Results
Pascal Wehrlein Porsche 37:05.241
Jake Dennis Andretti +1.933
Nick Cassidy Jaguar +2.221
Nico Müller Abt Cupra +2.271
Sacha Fenestraz Nissan +5.230
Sergio Sette Camara ERT +5.727
Jean-Eric Vergne DS Penske +6.794
Jake Hughes McLaren +8.236
Maximilian Günther Maserati +8.387
Jehan Daruvala Maserati +8.714
Sam Bird McLaren +11.912
Lucas di Grassi Abt Cupra +12.415
Edoardo Mortara Mahindra +14.171
Dan Ticktum ERT +17.875
Nyck de Vries Mahindra +21.935
Norman Nato Andretti +1 Lap
Antonio Felix da CostaPorsche +1 Lap
Mitch Evans Jaguar DNF
Oliver Rowland Nissan DNF
Stoffel Vandoorne DS Penske DNF
Sebastian Buemi Envision DNF
Robin Frijns Envision DNF
