Race 6
In dry weather, his teammate Pascal Wehrlein (GER) took the flag in 18th at the wheel of the second Porsche 99X Electric. This was Porsche’s second podium result of the season after Rome in the world’s first electric racing series, which is contested by twelve teams. After six races, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team currently ranks sixth in the team classification.
Setting his second-fastest time in the Super Pole qualifying, André Lotterer (GER) should have started from the first grid row. However, after causing a collision during Saturday’s race, he was relegated three places down the grid. In the hectic start, he opted against taking risks after his experiences from the previous day and thus lost two positions. However, he then proceeded to systematically work his way up the order towards the podium. In the last third of the race, with the assistance of Attack Mode, he moved into third place, which he confidently defended against his pursuers to the flag. When the second-placed competitor was subsequently handed a five-second time penalty due to a collision he caused in the early stages, the Porsche works driver moved up the rankings to second place. Starting from P12 on the grid, his teammate Pascal Wehrlein drove an uneventful race.
Comments on the Valencia E-Prix, Race 6
Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E: “That’s a fantastic result for the team and of course for André as well. He’s experienced a tough season so far. Today he drove very cleverly, very efficiently, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to tackle the upcoming races at this level. After another strong qualifying performance, Pascal experienced problems with the balance of the car, among other things. We’ll analyse this so that he can be back at the top in Monaco.”
André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): “I’m thrilled with my podium placing. My first points at last. As a team, we deserved this result. We all work hard. Today we underlined that we can deliver a top performance even on a track that is somewhat atypical for Formula E. We’ve always been fast over one lap this season. This time we proved that we’re also efficient in energy management in the race. I really hope that we’ve now made a breakthrough.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#99): “That was a difficult race for me. We don’t yet know the exact reasons, so we still have to look at the data. In any case, I couldn’t really attack over the whole distance. I’m looking forward to being back in the fight in Monaco in less than two weeks.”
Coming up
The next race for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is the Monaco E-Prix on 8 May with race 7 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: 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 5
At the racing debut of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship contested on the rainy Circuit Ricardo Tormo near Valencia, the Porsche 99X Electric racing cars fielded by the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team did not make it to the finish line. In the event overshadowed by incidents, Pascal Wehrlein (GER/#99) concluded race five in the pits and was thus excluded from the classification. Recently in Rome, he had claimed the first podium of the season. His teammate André Lotterer (GER/#36) also retired from the race. As a result, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team did not earn points for the first time this season.
After a strong performance in Rome, Pascal Wehrlein was unable to join the fight for top positions in Valencia. Taking up the race from fifth place, he drove a solid race but, for safety reasons, had to pit shortly before the flag due to a technical problem with the brakes. André Lotterer narrowly missed the Super Pole by two-hundredths of a second after penalties reshuffled two competitors in front of him. Having caused a collision in the first lap at the entry to the chicane, he was handed a drive-through penalty which relegated him to the back of the field. While he managed to make up a few positions during the final phase, a collision with a competitor resulted in him going off the track.
Comments on the Valencia E-Prix, Race 5
Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E: “A contact shortly after the start and a technical problem with the brakes cost us important points today. We did well in terms of pace and energy. With about five minutes left on the clock, both cars experienced technical problems with the brakes. It was a difficult race for us. We have to take a very close look at the details then we’ll be back to attack on Sunday.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#99): “The day actually started well. We were pleased with tenth in qualifying as I started in the first qualifying group. We were strong at the start of the race and I managed to gain a couple of positions. Towards the end, I was running in sixth place but unfortunately had to pit with brake problems. We now have to see what happened and concentrate on tomorrow.”
André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): “Fifth on the grid was good. Unfortunately, I couldn’t prevent the collision with Sébastien (Buemi) on the first lap. Eventually, I rejoined the race before retiring with brake troubles. Now it’s time to keep our heads up and focus on tomorrow’s race.”
Preview: Q&A on the Valencia E-Prix
After a strong performance in Rome, where Pascal Wehrlein (GER) secured the season’s first podium result in the Porsche 99X Electric, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is hoping to underscore its positive progress with another top result in Valencia. On the Circuit Ricardo Tormo near the Spanish city, races five and six of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will be contested on 24 and 25 April. “We’re making progress and we’re learning new things every race weekend,” says Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E. “What we can expect at the moment are podium finishes. What we want are wins.”
Before the season began, the 12 teams and 24 drivers contesting the world’s first electric racing series held the official winter test on the Spanish racetrack. Now, they will race there for the first time. The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, which currently ranks fifth in the team classification after the first four races of the season, will tackle the premiere at Valencia with two Porsche 99X Electric cars. In the cockpits are Pascal Wehrlein (#99) and André Lotterer (GER/#36).
Amiel Lindesay (Head of Operations Formula E)
There are just two weeks between the races in Rome and Valencia. What did you do during that time?
“There was no time to take a break. We took our learnings from the race in Rome, we analysed what went well and what didn’t go so smoothly and we’ve taken a big step in improving the efficiency of our car. There is obviously more potential in the Porsche 99X Electric than we’ve been able to demonstrate so far. We have to explore this potential and make sure we can fully utilise this during the entire race weekend. Our car is one of the quickest in qualifying, and we have the race pace too. There are a few details we need to bring together. When these are pieced together, we can win races.”
What needs to improve in Valencia compared to Rome?
“This is only our second season and we’re still learning new things at every race. That’s racing. But we mustn’t ease off in our efforts; we have to make sure we’re going in the right direction, which I’m sure we are. But our competitors aren’t sleeping either, they’re moving ahead too. For us, this means: push harder, put in even more effort and stay focused on doing the best job as a team. We’re heading to Valencia feeling positive.”
Where do you see the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team after the first four races of this season?
“We shone in some areas, and we’ve been exposed in others. We definitely have a good basis for the new car. It’s now up to us to tap the full potential of the car, drivers and team. If we manage this, we’ll be right up there not just in qualifying, but also at the end of the race.”
Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche works driver, #99)
You scored your first podium after just four races with Porsche. Are you happy with how things are going for you?
“Absolutely. The first grid row in Diriyah, the first podium in Rome – I can easily live with such a positive trend. I had a slightly longer break than most of my competitors because I didn’t quite finish the previous season with my former team. Now to see that this break hasn’t had a negative effect on my quality of driving and that I can immediately produce good results with my new team makes me happy.”
What do you expect in Valencia?
“The course for the race will be different to the one we drove at the pre-season test. At least there’ll be a new track layout, and I’m very keen to see it. In any case, I’m thrilled that we’re racing again after two weeks. Even though not everything is going to plan for us, we know what we have to work on to regularly achieve decent results and hopefully our first victory soon. I hope we can implement some of these improvements in Valencia.”
André Lotterer (Porsche works driver, #36)
The races in Rome didn’t go as you’d hoped and you went home empty-handed. How do you process such a weekend?
“With commitment and hard work. I headed into the simulator almost straight away. In terms of speed, we underlined in Rome that we can match the pace of the leaders, especially in qualifying. We’re really good at that. Obviously, a weekend with no points is tough, but as I’ve said: we have to keep our heads high and continue fighting.”
What are your expectations for Valencia?
“One goal is definitely to earn the first points of the season. The prospects look good, after all, we have the pace in practice and qualifying. There’s still room for improvement in the race and we’re working on that. I hope I’ll finally be able to join the frontrunners in Valencia.”
The racetrack
This marks the first time that the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will hold a race on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, named after the Spanish motorbike legend. “It’s not a typical Formula E circuit and it’s certainly not as much fun as the Rome one. Even though the track layout for the races will be different, we have the test data in the pits and we know roughly what to expect,” says André Lotterer. Amiel Lindesay adds: “For the Valencia E-Prix, there will be a chicane and a slightly different layout at the back of the track. It’ll be interesting.”
Live TV and internet coverage
The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E event in Valencia is available on: https://www.fiaformulae.com/watch/ways-to-watch.
The media service
The first photos from Valencia will be available on the Porsche press database on 23 April. Comments from the Head of Formula E Operations and drivers will be included in the race report on 24 April (race five) and 25 April (race six). 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. The content will be regularly updated over the course of the season and expanded with additional interactive material.
#WhatsNext?
— TAG Heuer Porsche FE Team (@PorscheFormulaE) April 14, 2021
At the #ValenciaEPrix, a @FIAFormulaE race will be held on Spanish soil for the first time in the history of the series. 🇪🇸
🎥 Our Head of Operations, Amiel Lindesay, is already looking forward to the next doubleheader. 👇#TAGHeuerPorsche #PorscheFormulaE pic.twitter.com/0DEm0K01Ow
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 99X Electric has 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 the 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.
2021 races*
Ten races make up the provisional calendar of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for the first half of 2021.
Race 1 – 26 February: Diriyah (Saudi Arabia)
Race 2 – 27 February: Diriyah (Saudi Arabia)
Race 3 – 10 April: Rome (Italy)
Race 4 – 11 April: Rome (Italy)
Race 5 – 24 April: Valencia (Spain)
Race 6 – 25 April: Valencia (Spain)
Race 7 – 8 May: Monaco (Monaco)
Race 8 – 22 May: Marrakesh (Morocco)
Race 9 – 5 June: Santiago de Chile (Chile)
Race 10 – 6 June: Santiago de Chile (Chile)
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will announce the remaining 2021 race dates this spring.
* Subject to changes
