Second top-five result in London for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team

Race 13

Pascal Wehrlein (GER) achieved fifth place on Sunday at the wheel of his Porsche 99X Electric, after his teammate André Lotterer (GER) placed fourth the day before. The race on the city circuit in East London’s Docklands was the last before the final round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Berlin, where two races will be contested on 14 and 15 August.

After narrowly missing out on the Super Pole qualifying, Pascal Wehrlein began the race from the seventh grid spot in his Porsche 99X Electric. On the 2.25-kilometre circuit, part of which runs through an exhibition hall, he drove a solid race in the 24-strong field of electric cars and gained one position. Due to a competitor’s disqualification, he ultimately secured fifth place. His teammate André Lotterer tackled race 13 from P16 and launched a spirited chase through the field to ninth place, only to be handed a drive-through penalty during the second half of the race when he and an opponent made contact before Turn 1. As a result, he was relegated down the field and finished 17th. 

Comments on the London E-Prix, Race 13

Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E: “That was an exciting race, typical for such a narrow and twisty racetrack. It wasn’t easy today, so with that in mind, Pascal did a very good job. We can be satisfied with the second top-five result on our race debut in London. André started from one of the back rows, drove a remarkable comeback race and almost finished in the points. The drive-through penalty unfortunately prevented him from profiting from his strong performance. All in all, we’re taking a lot of positives with us from London to the season finale in Berlin. The world championship is still open. At our home race, we want to bring the season to a successful conclusion.”

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#99): “That was an improvement today, which was also due to the qualifying. I almost made it into the Super Pole. In terms of the race, you walk a fine line on this track as you saw by the multiple collisions. Overtaking is tricky and there’s a very high risk of damaging your car. It was important for me to make it through well and earn as many points as possible. We’re still in the fight for the title. Now we’re all looking forward to Berlin.” 

André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): “I’m not happy with my qualifying but my car ran like a dream in the race and I managed to gain a few positions. However, the drive-through penalty put an abrupt halt to my charge up the order. Fourth yesterday, 17th today – that’s always possible in Formula E. All in all, London was a good weekend for us and that makes me confident for the final races in Berlin.” 

Next up

The next event for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is the Berlin E-Prix on 14/15 August with the season finale (races 14 and 15) of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Porsche in Formula E

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team contests its second Formula E season in 2021 with the Porsche 99X Electric. André Lotterer celebrated a successful racing debut in November 2019, finishing second at the season-opening race in Diriyah after meticulous preparation: a dream start and proof that Porsche had a competitive vehicle right from the outset with the Porsche 99X Electric. This was impressively underlined by the first pole position in Mexico City and another second place on home turf in Berlin. Formula E is the world’s first fully-electric street racing series and, as an accelerator for innovative and sustainable mobility technologies, it has brought thrilling motorsport to people living in major cities since 2014. This season, in which a driver and team world champion will be crowned for the first time, more automobile manufacturers compete than in any other racing series. As such, the races are fascinating and fiercely contested.

Race 12

After setting the best qualifying time, André Lotterer (GER) narrowly missed out on claiming the third podium of the season for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team at the London E-Prix. At the wheel of his Porsche 99X Electric, he secured fourth place in the 24-strong field on the ExCeL Track in East London’s historic Docklands. This race marked Porsche’s racing debut in the British metropolis. The 2.25-kilometre course on the Thames is the most spectacular on the Formula E calendar, as part of it runs through an exhibition hall which poses very special challenges for drivers and teams. In the second Porsche 99X Electric, Pascal Wehrlein (GER) also finished in the points with tenth place.

André Lotterer left the first strong impression of the race weekend in the British metropolis during qualifying. Clocking the best time – his first this season – he made it into the Super Pole where he secured fifth place. Shortly after the start of race twelve of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which was last contested in London in 2016, he made up one position and set out to chase down the leader. Activating attack mode twice, the drivers were able to call on an additional eight minutes of energy (normally four minutes) each time. When he attempted to activate attack mode for the second time, Lotterer missed one of the three track markings that he should have crossed. As a result, he fell back to fifth place at the beginning of the second half of the race. When a competitor was subsequently disqualified, he gained one position. His teammate Pascal Wehrlein, who narrowly missed out on his second podium result for Porsche at the previous race weekend in New York City, started and finished the race in twelfth place. Due to the disqualification of a team, he inherited tenth place and earned points.

Comments on the London E-Prix, race 12

Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E: “That was a good day for us. André put in a strong drive to make it into Super Pole with the fastest time. Unfortunately in the race, he missed the track marking to activate attack mode and had to wait until the next lap to use the additional energy. That cost him a possible podium. Still, it was a good race for him. With Pascal, we need to see why he didn’t have the same speed as his teammate. All in all, having two cars in the points is a result we can build on in tomorrow’s race.”

André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): “The points that I took away are good but I’m not entirely satisfied. I missed the attack mode and that cost me a podium spot. I was so close to the guy in front of me that I couldn’t see the line properly. As a result, I didn’t drive over one of them and had to try again. It’s a shame. Now we’ll focus on tomorrow.“

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#99): “Today wasn’t so great for me. Qualifying was difficult. The track was still damp when I went out with my group. It gradually dried up and the following two groups had a clear advantage. The start of my race wasn’t particularly great either. One point is some consolation but I’ll attack again tomorrow.”

Next up

Race 13 in London gets underway on Sunday, 25 July. The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E event in London is available on: https://www.fiaformulae.com/watch/ways-to-watch.

The preview: Q&A on the London E-Prix

The course layout on the Thames is spectacular – for the first time in the history of top-league motorsport, the doubleheader event will be held indoors and outdoors. The twelve teams and 24 drivers contesting the world’s first electric series face completely new and interesting challenges. Formula E returns to London for the first time since 2016.

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, which recently crowned its debut race in New York City with its best team result to date, will line up on the grid for the premiere on the ExCeL Track with two Porsche 99X Electric. For the first time, both Pascal Wehrlein (GER/#99) and André Lotterer (GER/#36) qualified for Super Pole in the Big Apple. For Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E, this gives the team an extra boost of motivation: “We’ll continue to put pressure on the frontrunners. After the improvement in our race performance recently, we’re now eager for our first win.”

Amiel Lindesay (Head of Operations Formula E)

There are still four races to go this season. What chances do you think Pascal and André have in the world championship?
“The fight for the world championship title is still wide open. Pascal still has every chance to have a say in the decision, especially given our strong form at the recent rounds in Puebla and New York City. It’ll be a little more difficult for André, but he could also make a big leap up the rankings. Our very clear goal is to finish in the top three.”

At the second race in New York City, Pascal and André drove wheel to wheel over long stretches. How does this affect your race strategy in the future?
“In such cases, Porsche gives its drivers free rein, they’re just not allowed to make contact with each other. That was the first time this season that the two were so far up the field and both battling for a podium spot. Our strategy worked and we earned decent points for the team. We’ll continue to try and put our cars in the best possible position in the race so that they can bring home as many points as possible.”

After your strong performances in Mexico and the USA, are you looking forward to returning to European soil?
“The whole team is excited about the last races of the season in Europe, especially our home race in Berlin, of course. We’re feeling very confident. With our drivers, we’ll try to find those fractions of seconds in London that make all the difference in this top-class world championship.”

Particularly on an extraordinary track that is contested indoors and outdoors for the first time. What adjustments will drivers and teams need to make?
“The circuit is very special indeed. It features a lot of slow corners, some of them really tight. This means that drivers don’t have to pay as much attention to energy consumption compared to other racetracks, which in turn makes overtaking more difficult. Therefore, the key to success is a fast qualifying lap so that you can start from the front of the grid. If you don’t manage this, you’ll struggle in the race. As for the different grip levels between the inside and outside: with the help of simulations, we’ve prepared our systems and processes to ensure an even better response than in other races.”

André Lotterer (Porsche works driver, #36)

In New York City you have achieved your best team result so far. Does that give you extra motivation as you head to London?
“The trip to New York City was a great experience. To fight for the podium in race 11 with both cars gives us a really good feeling about the rest of this season’s races. We again underlined what we’ve known for a long time, namely that we have everything it takes to be at the front. We’re a relatively new team in this highly competitive world championship but we can still keep up with the best. I’m sure we’ll be able to reinforce our aspiration in London with another strong performance.”

After scoring points in New York for the first time since Valencia, what are your personal expectations for London?
“I’m looking forward to London. This is a premiere for me in such an exciting location and on an extraordinary circuit. In New York City, I was very happy with my car. I have to improve my qualifying performance so that I can start from the front of the grid. That would make my life much easier. I’m working on that with the team and we’ve made good progress. The basis is there to achieve top results.”

Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche works driver, #99)

Despite consistently strong performances, you’re still waiting for the first victory. Do you think it’ll happen this season?
“We’ve already won a race, at least on the track. In Puebla, I was the first over the line and that’s what matters to me. The fact that we lost this win doesn’t change our excellent performance or the fact that we were the fastest on the day. Sure, the first official victory is still missing, but we’re always among the leading pack. We were really strong at the last races and made it to Super Pole four times. There are a lot of positives that we’re taking with us to London. The car is fast and I feel great. If we experience a day where everything comes together in London, we’ll win.”

The London circuit is new to all teams. Do you regard this as an advantage for Porsche?
“First and foremost, I look forward to every new course. You’ve got to familiarise yourself with it, then finetune your line and I really relish such challenges. I do think it’s an advantage for us to drive on racetracks where the other teams don’t have the upper hand when it comes to previous experience. In any case, I’m very excited about London. The city circuits in Formula E with little grip and a lot of dirt are always a challenge – especially the streets of London.”

The racetrack

It hardly gets more spectacular than this: The 2.25-kilometre circuit with its 22 turns weaves its way both inside and outside East London’s ExCeL exhibition centre on the Thames. The grandstands inside the exhibition hall have a capacity for 20,000 spectators, which would normally guarantee an electric atmosphere. However, due to pandemic restrictions, a maximum of 2,720 spectators are permitted. The concrete floor of the hall was treated with a special substance to improve grip and protect the ground. The height difference between the indoor and outdoor areas was solved with ramps. “Everything we’ve heard about the course makes us very curious,” says André Lotterer. “I’m still wondering whether the air conditioning in the hall will be on if it’s hot outside. And what happens if it rains? Formula E is always good for surprises. But whatever comes, as always, we’re well prepared.”

Live TV and internet coverage

The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E event in London is available on: https://www.fiaformulae.com/watch/ways-to-watch.

The media service

The first photos from London are available on the Porsche Press Database on 23 July. Comments from the Head of Operations Formula E and drivers will be included in the race reports on 24 July (race 12) and 25 July (race 13). All times CEST. Further information about the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will be posted live on the Twitter channel @PorscheFormulaE. All relevant information about the team, the drivers and the racing series can be found in the Porsche Formula E Media Guide Porsche Formel E Media Guide. The content will be regularly updated over the course of the season and expanded with additional interactive material.

The Porsche 99X Electric

Campaigning the Porsche 99X Electric, Porsche returned to open-wheel single-seater racing in 2019 after more than 30 years and celebrated a successful debut scoring second place at the season-opener in Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah. The fully-electric racing car sporting the Weissach-developed Porsche E Performance Powertrain also serves as a development platform for the sports car manufacturer’s fully-electric production models. Energy management and efficiency are important factors of success in Formula E and in the development of production cars. The Porsche 99X Electric produces a maximum output of 250 kW (340 hp) in qualification mode and 200 kW (270 hp) in normal race mode. Attack Mode boosts the output to 235 kW (320 hp), with Fanboost increasing the performance to 250 kW (340 hp). Maximum recuperation is 250 kW; the usable battery capacity is 52 Kilowatt hours.

Formula E

Formula E is the world’s first fully-electric street racing series and has been treating people living in major cities to thrilling motorsport since 2014. As an accelerator for innovative and sustainable technologies of mobility, it promotes the worldwide acceptance of electric vehicles with the aim to counteract climate change. The format is compact: practice, qualifying and race all take place on one day. Each race is contested over 45 minutes plus one lap. Formula E, which features a team and driver world championship for the first time this year, has attracted more automobile manufacturers than any other racing series. This makes for interesting and hotly contested races. In 2021, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team tackles its second season running the Porsche 99X Electric.