Porsche has started the 2024 motorsport year with a victory. Watched by 40,000 avid spectators in the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Pascal Wehrlein of TAG Heuer Porsche displayed masterful driving to clinch the first win of the season in an electrifying start to Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Mexico City. Joining Wehrlein on the podium were Sébastien Buemi for Envision Racing in second and Nick Cassidy, Jaguar TCS Racing’s new signing, in third.
It was a perfect start to the season for Pascal Wehrlein and the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. After setting pole position with his Porsche 99X Electric, the German went on to score an outstanding win on the 2,628-kilometre circuit through the legendary Foro Sol baseball stadium. This marked the fifth victory for the Porsche works driver in the innovative electric racing series.
For his teammate António Félix da Costa (POR), however, the race at the highest circuit (2,285-metre altitude) on the Formula E calendar came to an early end on lap three. After starting from P16 on the grid, damage to the suspension of his Porsche 99X Electric due to a collision forced him to retire.
Both Porsche 99X Electric fielded by the Porsche customer team Andretti Formula E kicked off the season in the points: World champion Jake Dennis, the 2023 Mexico winner, finished ninth after a difficult qualifying session saw him start from P14. Norman Nato (FRA), his new teammate in the racing team of US motorsport legend Michael Andretti, finished tenth after 37 laps.
Comments on the Mexico City E-Prix, Race 1
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “A huge thank you to the team for this tremendous effort. What a great start to the season with Pascal’s outstanding drive. After a flawless qualifying performance, he started from pole and with a super strategy, was extremely focused in the race. António wasn’t completely happy with the car in qualifying. He made up a few positions in the race before having to retire due to suspension damage after a collision. The qualification didn’t run perfectly for our customer team Andretti Formula E, however in the race, Jake and Norman battled their way up the order and into the points. Pascal’s victory outshines everything.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “It’s fantastic to start the season with a win. We had a very strong weekend. After last season, we spent a huge amount of time analysing everything and we put our focus on preparing for the qualifying. Our pole today is proof that this hard work has paid off. A big thanks to my team for this.”
António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): “Pascal’s win underlines that we have a formidable package with which we can compete for the world championship. Today was difficult for me. To retire so early in the first race of the season isn’t nice. Still, I’m looking ahead.”
The next event for Porsche in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the Diriyah E-Prix on 26 and 27 January with rounds 2 and 3. Here, you can take a look at the full racing calendar of the 2024 Formula E season.
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Edited Porsche Factory Press Release
Pictures & Video courtesy Porsche AG
