Pascal Wehrlein has imposed his law in the first race of the weekend at the London E-Prix, thus achieving the lead in the Formula E championship ahead of the decisive race on Sunday.
The Porsche driver took the victory with a six-second advantage over Jake Dennis, who was the championship leader and competed with the Andretti team. Antonio Felix da Costa from Jaguar completed the podium in this thrilling race held at the ExCeL Arena.
With this victory, Wehrlein surpasses Dennis by five points, considering that there are still 29 points available. Meanwhile, Mitch Evans and Oliver Rowland, finishing eleventh and tenth respectively, have been practically eliminated from the title fight.
Porsche has been the star of the weekend as both Wehrlein and Nico Muller qualified for the final round where Muller gave up pole position to his teammate. This pre-race team orders tactic was anticipated and proved crucial for Wehrlein’s superiority.
The race started cleanly, with Wehrlein quickly moving ahead and establishing a three-second gap over the rest of the drivers during the first lap. Muller’s role was clear: to help Evans and delay the attack from other competitors, but some actions generated controversy among the drivers.
Around laps seven and eight, the competition was interrupted by a yellow flag after Zane Maloney from Lola suffered damage from an accident with Edoardo Mortara, forcing his early retirement.
With the return to green flags, the drivers began to activate their Attack Mode and make pit stops. Evans, in a risky move, sought clean air on the track, but luck was not on his side when Lucas di Grassi crashed, allowing Wehrlein to make one more strategic stop.
As the race progressed, Wehrlein maintained a comfortable lead while Evans tried to defend himself behind the Porsche driver. Despite the recovery attempts, Evans was overtaken by Muller and was forced to fight to stay within the top ten.
As the laps went by, Wehrlein consolidated his lead, and with the race moment established, the podium was closed with Dennis in second place and da Costa in third. Kiro’s driver, Dan Ticktum, who had started strongly, fell to seventh after an intense battle in the final laps.
The results of this first race of the London E-Prix mark an ideal preparation for the final championship decision, with drivers like Mitch Evans, Nick Cassidy, and Rowland completing the top ten.
Results of the first race of the London E-Prix
| Position | Driver | Team | Laps | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pascal Wehrlein | Porsche Team | 39 | 49’48.354 |
| 2 | Jake Dennis | Andretti Formula E | 39 | 49’54.131 |
| 3 | Antonio Felix da Costa | Jaguar Racing | 39 | 50’10.662 |
| 4 | Sebastien Buemi | Envision Racing | 39 | 50’12.083 |
| 5 | Edoardo Mortara | Mahindra Racing | 39 | 50’12.323 |
| 6 | Taylor Barnard | DS Penske | 39 | 50’12.834 |
| 7 | Dan Ticktum | Cupra Kiro | 39 | 50’15.933 |
| 8 | Mitch Evans | Jaguar Racing | 39 | 50’18.894 |
| 9 | Nick Cassidy | Citroën Racing | 39 | 50’19.901 |
| 10 | Oliver Rowland | Nissan | 39 | 50’22.234 |
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
