Wehrlein takes championship lead ahead of Formula E's season 10 London finale

LONDON, UK. Sat. 20 July 2024 - Pascal Wehrlein of TAG Heuer Porsche clinched his third win of the season, propelling him to the top of the Drivers' World Championship as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship approaches the final race on Sunday 21 July. The German driver showcased a stellar performance, engaging in a close battle with Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans, who finished second.

Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy, despite starting 17th and missing two ATTACK MODE activations, managed to finish seventh, earning crucial points for the Drivers' title race. However, championship hopefuls Jean-Éric Vergne (DS PENSKE), Oliver Rowland (Nissan), and António Félix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche) were unable to score due to race incidents.

In a strategic masterstroke, the Porsche team opted for Wehrlein to activate his mandatory ATTACK MODES late in the race, allowing him to conserve energy and maintain a lead. Wehrlein hit the front on Lap 22 of 39, expertly managing his energy reserves to pass both Evans and Envision Racing's Sebastien Buemi.

Despite the frenetic nature of the race around London's Docklands, Wehrlein held his ground to secure victory. Maserati MSG Racing's Maximilian Günther, who climbed from 11th on the grid, unfortunately retired from second place due to technical issues after a second Safety Car appearance.

Mahindra Racing's Nyck de Vries delivered an impressive performance, moving from 14th to fourth, achieving the team's best finish of Season 10. His teammate, Edo Mortara, also made significant gains, finishing fifth after starting 16th. Nico Müller secured sixth place on his final weekend for the ABT CUPRA team.

As it stands, just seven points separate the top three in the title race, with Wehrlein leading at 180 points, followed by Evans at 177, and Cassidy at 173. Evans' additional points for Julius Baer Pole Position and the fastest lap could prove decisive.

In the Teams' Championship, Jaguar TCS Racing leads TAG Heuer Porsche with 350 points to 314. The race for the inaugural Manufacturers' Trophy sees Porsche's lead narrowed to just eight points over Jaguar, with scores of 433 to 425.

Pascal Wehrlein, No. 94, TAG Heuer Porsche, said:

"Jaguar was a bit quicker than us in qualifying but that didn’t stop us from feeling confident. We delivered a good performance and perfect strategy, even with the Safety Cars at the end making it more difficult. Today has been a great day, but it’s only 50 percent. We'll celebrate for a few minutes and then focus will quickly be on tomorrow."

Mitch Evans, No. 9, Jaguar TCS Racing, said:

"Unfortunately we approached the race wrong and that cost us the victory, but I left it all out there. It's disappointing as we had the pace to win and just executed it poorly - full credit to Porsche and Wehrlein though. We'll be looking to change this for tomorrow."

Sébastian Buemi, No. 16, Envision Racing:

"We did well in qualification, so had a good start to the race and I'm pleased that we could turn this into a podium finish. I promised my little one that I'd take him on the podium if I got there, so it was great to be able to do that. We'll be looking to do our best again tomorrow."

The thrilling championship battle for Drivers', Teams', and Manufacturers' honours will culminate in the final race tomorrow at 17:00, 21 July at London's ExCeL.