In another dramatic turn of events at the Misano E-Prix, Pascal Wehrlein of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team emerged triumphant after an intense battle for Round 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on Sunday night. Wehrlein’s consistent performance positioned him for victory, after Oliver Rowland’s hopes were dashed in the final moments of the race due to energy management issues.
At the second leg of the inaugural Misano E-Prix double-header, it was Pascal Wehrlein who made amends for TAG Heuer Porsche’s painful Saturday. His first-place trophy from Round 7 is the sixth of his Formula E career, following a heartbreaking last-lap miscalculation that resulted in the then-race leader Oliver Rowland running out of energy and retiring.
Reigning ABB FIA Formula E World Champion Jake Dennis of the Andretti Formula E Team secured a commendable second place, 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 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 favoured 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.
In a thrilling race, Jake Dennis showcased his prowess by climbing from ninth to second place for Andretti, while Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy secured third with a bold move on ABT CUPRA’s Nico Müller in the final moments. The race also saw notable performances from Sacha Fenestraz of Nissan Formula E Team in fifth and Sergio Sette Camara of ERT Formula E Team in sixth.
Wehrlein’s triumph sees 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.
Pascal Wehrlein, No. 94, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, said: “Yesterday would have been better to win but I’m very happy about the race today. 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.
“It goes quickly from zero to hero, we know that in Formula E. 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.”
The next race in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is Round 8 of the 2024 Monaco E-Prix on Saturday 27th April.
