Double points for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team in the Big Apple

Race 12

In the drivers’ classification of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Pascal Wehrlein ranks ninth after 12 of 16 races with 63 points. André Lotterer is tenth with the same points tally. In the team classification, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team lies in sixth place with 126 points.
 
The sun shone on the 2.320-kilometre Brooklyn Street Circuit on Sunday, after a chaotic rained-out race on Saturday which resulted in the race finishing earlier than anticipated. Following a strong qualifying performance and a spot in the semi-finals, André Lotterer started the race in his Porsche 99X Electric from P3. However, he got a slow start off the line and lost eight positions. Putting in a strong drive, he still finished in the points with ninth place. Pascal Wehrlein made a spirited charge from P20 on the grid and made up nine places. Ultimately finishing eleventh, he narrowly missed out on collecting points. 

Comments on the New York City E-Prix, Race 12  

Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “In free practice we laid a decent foundation for the qualifying. André achieved a very strong grid position after reaching the semi-finals. However we have to apologise to Pascal - after his accident in Saturday’s race, we changed the powertrain and then experienced problems in the qualifying, which meant he had to start from P20. The race went badly at the start, with André not getting away well from P3 and losing a few positions. He had to work his way through the field after dropping down to eleventh and, in doing so, he underlined that he had a competitive car. Pascal also drove a solid race and narrowly missed out on earning points with eleventh place. All in all, we’re not happy with two points, obviously. In the last four races of the season in London and Seoul, we now have to bring home one or two very good individual results.”  
 
André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): “I’m so disappointed with this result. I had a phenomenal spot on the grid with P3, but then I messed up the start procedure a bit. My foot slipped off the start pedal and then hit the brakes to avoid being penalised with a jump start. As a result, I lost a few positions. At least I stayed in the race and earned two more points. That’s such a shame, the car was so good. More would have been possible today.” 
 
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “Best to forget about today. In my first qualifying run, I landed in P2 and that looked promising. We had a problem, so we changed the setup for the second run. I couldn’t improve my time, but that didn’t matter because the lap times were voided anyway. I started the race from P20 and finished eleventh. I did all I could but because of the qualifying, I couldn’t do more today unfortunately. Today was a day we weren’t able to showcase our potential.”  

Next up

The next event for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is the London E-Prix with rounds 13 and 14 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.  

Race 11

The Formula E race weekend in New York City got off to a spectacular start when a sudden downpour flooded the Brooklyn Street Circuit, causing a major pile-up among the frontrunners. As a result, race 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship ended before it was due the finish on Saturday.

With seven and a half minutes still remaining, the stewards opted against a restart. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/No. 94) was classified sixth with this Porsche 99X Electric, his teammate André Lotterer (GER/No. 36) failed fo finish in the points with sixteenth. *
 
In the drivers’ classification of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Pascal Wehrlein ranks ninth after 11 of 16 races with 63 points. André Lotterer is tenth with 61 points thenth. In the team classification, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team lies in sixth place with 124 points. 

After making it into qualifying semi-finals on the 2.320-kilometre Brooklyn Street Circuit, Wehrlein started the race from the fourth spot on the grid. At the wheel of his Porsche 99X Electric, he maintained contact to the leading pack over the entire distance – until torrential rain saw the race red-flagged with 7:35 minutes plus one lap remaining on the clock. While the drivers in front of him crashed into the barriers due to unexpected aquaplaning, he managed to brake in time, only to be rear-ended hard by a competitor. Starting from P17, André Lotterer was at times able to progress to eleventh place. However, when the race was stopped, he was classified out of the points. In accordance with the regulations, the position of the race one lap before the red flag determined the final results. 

Comments on the New York City E-Prix, Race 11

Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “That was a difficult day for us. We were very pleased with Pascal’s qualifying performance, P4 is a decent starting position. André wasn’t able to set a time on his second qualifying run. We were at the limit with the timing, but if everyone had played fairly, he would still have posted his time. In the last sector, some of the competitors slowed down, which meant the last one is dropped off and this time that was us. It wasn’t ideal and we have to see how we can improve on this in the future. When the track suddenly flooded during the race, the rear of Pascal’s car was shunted hard before turn 6, which pushed him into the wall. André managed to make it back to the pits, and could’ve rejoined the race in P8. However, unfortunately he was denied this chance. We now have to ensure that we get both cars into the qualifying duels tomorrow and then take some points home with us.”
 
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “All in all, it was actually a good day. Qualifying for the semi-finals and P4 was promising. Unfortunately, I had to start on the dirty side of the track, which meant I didn’t get off the line as cleanly and I lost positions. My race pace was good and I managed to catch the leading group. Then chaos hit. I was running in sixth when someone hit me from behind. Since the position from the previous lap counts, I was classified in P7. Looking at it from this point of view, I’m obviously not pleased.” *

André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): “No points today, unfortunately. Things looked good in free practice, my car was fast. But then I encountered a problem in qualifying which prevented me from doing any more laps because of the traffic and so I had to start from P17. I battled my way up the order and was within reach of the points, but then the race was red-flagged. Tomorrow is another day. I hope that everything goes smoothly and we are able to turn the potential of our car into a good result.”  

Next up

Race 12 in New York City gets underway on Sunday, 17 July, at 1pm local time (7pm CEST). The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E event is available on: https://www.fiaformulae.com/watch/ways-to-watch.

The preview

The Porsche 99X Electric cars will race in the big apple this weekend at the New York City E-Prix, set against the stunning backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. The all-electric racing cars from Weissach will contest rounds 11 and 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on 16 and 17 July. The race weekend at the Brooklyn Street Circuit in the borough of Brooklyn is the first of three double-header events that will wrap up Season 8 of the innovative electric racing series. Next up on the calendar after New York City is London (30/31 July) and Seoul (13/14 August). After its strong team performance at last year’s debut outing in New York City, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team again relies on André Lotterer (GER/No. 36) and Pascal Wehrlein (GER/No. 94) to bring home podium places and points. Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “We need to improve our race performance if we want to score the points that our qualifying performance warrants.”  
 
In the drivers’ standings of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, André Lotterer heads to New York City ranking ninth with 61 points. Pascal Wehrlein follows in tenth place with 55 points. With 116 points in the team standings, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team defends its fifth place ahead of the eleventh of 16 races.

Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E

At your premiere in New York City last year, you delivered a strong team performance. What does this mean for your return?

“We’re competing with more power this time, and New York could be sweltering again. The last races have shown that we have some catching up to do when the temperatures are high. The team is working hard on this step by step. We want to demonstrate that we have a competitive package, even in warm conditions.”
 
Season 8 will conclude with three double-header events. Do you prefer two races per event to just one? Is it good to have another chance the next day?

“In principle, that doesn’t really matter to me. Of course, a second chance is good if the first day didn’t go well. But that shouldn’t be the goal. In terms of preparation and logistics, there are savings when you consider the effort required for a doubleheader and for two single events. But honestly, that’s not a fair comparison.”

André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36)

Six more Formula E events and then you’ll be back driving long-distance races for Porsche. What do you have planned for your farewell tour?

“This season’s remaining races are important. We have some points to make up and I’ll work hard with the team until the end to ensure that we do that. I very much hope that we can conclude this season with wins or at least a podium finish – just as we’d imagined and actually expect given our possibilities.”
 
How excited are you for New York City and what are the special characteristics of the track?

“I love New York. Many of my colleagues also love racing in Brooklyn with a view of Manhattan. It’s definitely a highlight for Porsche to showcase itself in the important setting of the American market and to promote electromobility. The Brooklyn Street Circuit is a great Formula E track, it’s a narrow street circuit with some challenging corners. It’ll be exciting to see how we can cope in the heat that’s been predicted.”

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94)

There are three double-header events left on the Season 8 calendar. Do you prefer that to just one race per weekend?

“I definitely prefer two back-to-back races, quite simply because you can spend more time in the cockpit and have a better chance of securing a decent result. We achieved a very good team result in New York last year. I hope we’ll be as strong there again this time. The anticipated heat will be tough on the battery and tyres and that’s something we definitely have to work on. Still, I’m hoping for two successful races.”
 
How do you view the situation in the championship heading into the final races of the season?

“We had technical issues at a few races and simply weren’t consistent enough. If you don’t score points at every race in this cut-throat championship, you have no chance of getting to the top. But we still have a few races ahead of us and therefore have every chance of concluding the season satisfactorily. That’s our goal.”

The circuit

The 2.320-kilometre Brooklyn Street Circuit, which runs adjacent to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with a view of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, is a temporary street circuit featuring walls and kerbs typical of Formula E. The course’s 14 corners range from a hairpin (turn 10) and a chicane (turn 6) to the high-speed kink (turn 14), which leads on to the start-finish straight. While overtaking is not easy, the best chance is at the end of the longer straights approaching turns 1 and 6. Summer weather with temperatures expected from 27 to 32 degrees celsius will primarily affect the battery temperatures. The tyres, however, will not be overly stressed due to the track layout.

Live TV and Internet coverage

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

The media service

The first photos from Marrakesh will be available on the Porsche press database on July 1. The race report will follow on July 2 (race 10). 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 updated Porsche Formula E Media Guide on media.porsche.com/formulae. The content will be regularly updated over the course of the season and expanded with additional interactive material.

The Porsche 99X Electric

With the Porsche 99X Electric, Porsche returned to open-wheel single-seater racing in 2019 after more than 30 years. 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 for success in Formula E and in the development of production cars. For the 2021/2022 season, the 99X Electric has a maximum output of 250 kW in qualification mode and 220 kW in normal race mode. Attack Mode boosts the output to 250 kW. Maximum recuperation is 250 kW; the usable battery capacity is 52 Kilowatt-hours.

Porsche Taycan Turbo S als Safety Car

Porsche is committed to Formula E safety: With the all-electric Taycan Turbo S, the sports car manufacturer supplies the official safety car this season and underlines the importance of Formula E for Porsche Motorsport. Thanks to its driveability and safety as well as an output of up to 560 kW (761 PS; Taycan Turbo S: emissioni CO₂ combinato (WLTP) 0 g/km, consumo elettrico combinato (WLTP) 23,4 – 22,0 kWh/100 km, Gamma elettrica combinata (WLTP) 440 – 467 km, Gamma elettrica in aree urbane (WLTP) 524 – 570 km), Porsche’s first all-electric sports car is the ideal choice as a safety car in the world’s first electric racing series. With Launch Control, the flagship model of the Taycan range accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 260 km/h. The striking paintwork incorporates the colours of all eleven competing teams as well as the FIA and Formula E colours. The design symbolises the joint commitment to the future of all-electric motor racing as well as social values such as diversity and community.

Formula E

Formula E is the world’s first fully-electric racing series bringing thrilling motorsport to people living in major cities 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 usually runs over 45 minutes plus one lap. Eleven teams tackle the 2021/2022 season with 22 drivers. This makes for interesting and hotly contested races. This marks the third season for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team campaigning the Porsche 99X Electric.

2022 races

Sixteen races in ten of the world’s biggest cities make up the provisional 2021/2022 calendar of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Race 1 & 2
28. / 29. January – Diriyah (Saudi Arabia)

Race 3
12. February – Mexico City (Mexico)

Race 4 & 5
9. / 10. April – Rome (Italy)

Race 6
30. April – Monaco (Monaco)

Race 7 & 8
14. / 15. May – Berlin (Germany)

Race 9
4. June – Jakarta (Indonesia)

Race 10
2. July – Marrakesh (Morocco)

Race 11 & 12
16. / 17. July – New York City (USA)

Race 13 & 14
30. / 31. July – London (Great Britain)

Race 15 & 16
13. / 14. August – Seoul (South Korea)


*Due to a competitor's time penalty, Pascal Wehrlein moved up a place to sixth position.