For the Porsche customer squad Avalanche Andretti, the trip to Berlin, which has hosted Formula E every season, was well worth it. Jake Dennis (GBR), the winner of the opening round in Mexico, secured second place with his Porsche 99X Electric, while his teammate André Lotterer (GER) finished on P21.
After eight of 16 races, Pascal Wehrlein still leads the drivers’ championship of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship after the first half of the season with 100 points, followed by Nick Cassidy (NZL/96) and Jean-Éric Vergne (FRA/81). Jake Dennis ranks fourth with 80 points, António Félix da Costa lies sixth with 68 points. The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team retains its lead in the teams classification with 168 points ahead of Envision Racing (153). Avalanche Andretti occupies fifth place with 103 points.
Race 7
It could have been António Félix da Costa’s race: after starting from P19 on the grid, he fought his way up the order at the wheel of his No. 13 Porsche 99X Electric to fourth position – only to be forced into the pits in the last quarter of the race after becoming entangled in another competitor’s collision. Starting from P15, his teammate Pascal Wehrlein gained nine positions in the No. 94 car during the race, which was interrupted by two safety car phases, and ultimately brought home points for sixth place.
Comments on the Berlin E-Prix, race 7
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “That was a spectacular first race at our home event with lots of thrills and spills. Our drivers concentrated on working their way up the field from their grid positions and they did a good job. António was in fourth place and on track for a very good result. But very unfortunately he was then knocked out of the race and couldn’t do a thing about it. That’s such a shame, he could’ve earned very important points. Pascal progressed from P15 to sixth, scored critical points for the championship and held on to his lead in the drivers’ standings. It was a good conclusion to the race for him but not so much for the team. Now we need to make sure we bring home more points tomorrow.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “At the end of the day we can be satisfied. I took off from P15 and ultimately scored important points for sixth place. We definitely need to improve our qualifying performance. Tomorrow we get another chance and we’ll do our very best to make the most of it.”
António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): “We didn’t quite find the ideal car setup in qualifying and P19 was the price we paid for that. But this team never gives up. We worked hard and, as always this season, had a great car for the race. It was an incredible event. We made up a lot of ground and I was running fourth with about ten laps to go. Then another car hit me and my race was over. It’s such a shame. You work hard to prepare in the simulator and then one of your rivals’ makes a mistake and you’re out. Well, that’s racing. We’ll be back in full force tomorrow.”
Race 8
After an improved performance in qualifying compared to the previous day, Pascal Wehrlein lined up on the grid in P6 with António Félix da Costa in P10. The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team drivers activated Attack Mode twice in the first half of the race and steadily gained ground to establish themselves among the leading pack. For several laps, the pair spearheaded the field with Pascal Wehrlein at the front. In the final phase of the race which saw numerous changes at the top, they lost hope for a podium finish but still scored valuable championship points for themselves and the team.
Comments on the Berlin E-Prix, race 8
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “Our home races in Berlin marked a very successful end to the first half of the season. We have underlined that we’re competitive on a wide range of different circuits. In this race, Pascal and António fought their way into the top three over the first laps with some great overtaking moves and at times even led the race. In the duels with other vehicles, they then lost positions. The race became so fast in the end that it would’ve been hugely risky to overtake. Still, we’ve earned valuable points towards the championship. We’re leading both classifications and will now focus on continuing to bring home strong results in the second half of the season.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “I’m pleased to head into the second half of the season as the leader of the drivers’ standings. That’s one positive we’re taking from Berlin. Otherwise, today was a race of missed opportunities. More would definitely have been possible for us. It’s a shame that we couldn’t treat the many Porsche fans at the track to a victory.”
António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): “That was a great race for us as a team. We made big progress and at times led the field with both cars. In the last ten or twelve laps, we made some unfortunate decisions which cost us positions. Even though we had more energy than our rivals, at some point it was simply too late to attack again. It’s a bit disappointing but we showed how good we are in the race. Now we need to improve a little more in qualifying and then we’ll be where we want to be.”
Next up
The next race for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is the Monaco E-Prix on 6 May, which is round 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Here you can find the full racing calendar of the 2023 Formula E season.
Edited Porsche Factory Press Release
Pictures courtesy Porsche AG
