Pascal Wehrlein sees no reason why the Tag Heuer Porsche FE Team cannot take their first official ABB FIA Formula E World Championship victory this weekend in the London E-Prix, with the German still stinging from being disqualified from first place during the Puebla E-Prix.
Wehrlein dominated race one in Mexico only to be disqualified through no fault of his own due to a procedural error by his team who failed to declare his tyres prior to the race.
The German also showed good pace during the New York City E-Prix two weeks ago, and he says there are a lot of positives to take into this weekend’s London E-Prix. He feels that if everything comes together in the British capital, he can secure that elusive maiden victory.
“We’ve already won a race, at least on the track,” said Wehrlein. “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.”
Wehrlein says he always enjoys learning new courses, and with Porsche not alone this weekend in learning the Exhibition Centre London (ExCeL) track, he feels it could benefit the German marque.
“First and foremost, I look forward to every new course,” said the German. “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.”
“We have everything it takes to be at the front” – André Lotterer
Team-mate André Lotterer had his best weekend of the season last time out in New York, and he is looking to build on that momentum this weekend in London.
Despite taking his best finish – second place – in Valencia, Lotterer was able to put together a much better weekend in the United States, with an eighth-place finish in race one being followed by finishing on Wehrlein’s tail in fifth in race two.
Lotterer says the performance by Porsche in New York showcased just what the team can do, and it is now imperative they follow that up with another strong performance in London.
“The trip to New York City was a great experience,” said Lotterer. “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.”
Lotterer says he is excited by the prospect of racing in London, but he knows if he is to show the true potential of his car, he needs to show improvements in Qualifying, something that will likely be very important at a circuit where overtaking is likely to be difficult.
“I’m looking forward to London,” he added. “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.”
