Pascal and Porsche on song and looking to capitalise in Mexico City

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Pascal and Porsche on song and looking to capitalise in Mexico City

Pascal and Porsche on song and looking to capitalise in Mexico City

Pascal Wehrlein spearheaded the charge for Porsche on a formidable run through practice and qualifying for the Stuttgart manufacturer, sealing Julius Baer Pole Position in qualifying after a series of clinical laps.

Andre Lotterer had shown the way for the team in Free Practice 1; some way up the road from Sebastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams) in second and his teammate Wehrlein third. The more senior of the pair flew to second in Free Practice 2, with Wehrlein seventh.

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Lotterer reeled his Mortara in their Semis duel, and he looked to have pipped the ROKiT Venturi Racing driver at the last, only for Mortara to outdo him through the final turn, and over the line by 0.067 seconds - leaving Lotterer third. Wehrlein was able to go better still, paying Mortara back to pinch pole as the Swiss-Italian overcooked it through the final turn to cross the line sideways.

 

Wehrlein: 'I didn't expect it!'

"I love Mexico! I’ve always been competitive here and it’s my third pole position in the country," said the 27-year-old. "I’m really pleased with it. The car’s been amazing all day and we just need to fine tune it a little bit but my laps were very good."

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"I didn’t expect it to be honest. We were good in the morning but not that good. We made some changes before qualifying and they were spot on. It’s always a bit of a risk to change the car before qualifying but I think we nailed it. I had good laps and made no mistakes. The team can be proud.

"I was in Group B so I only had a couple of minutes to cool my tyres. From run to run the tyres get hotter and hotter and then you have more power (250kW) in the Duels – it’s almost like having a new car. I just tried to make no mistakes, push hard and then it was all or nothing in the Final.

"It’s 100% focus between laps and I think about what I could have done better or what could I change on the car to make it a bit more driveable for the next one. The head never rests in qualifying.

"I think we’re quite sorted for the race. We know competition is tough but it always helps starting from pole."

'Now to capitalise'

Porsche's new team principal Florian Modlinger was pleased with the progress, with all focus now on capitalising in the race.

"Our first focus is on a clean, smooth operation and then the tyre. You can see the rear left tyre is struggling and we need to take measures to protect it where possible. The last duel was exciting. Edo (Mortara) started the duel well with high risk but Pascal was so clean and without mistakes. He was stable through the last corner and he did a fantastic job.

READ MORE: Mexico City qualifying report

"I think in motorsport there’s always pressure and you want to win; that’s our passion, our life and our job – especially for Porsche. Porsche is a brand with a great history and the pressure is there to win. We’re used to it and it’s good to keep us focussed.

"When you see the whole day, Andre (Lotterer) was confident and always performing. He was great in the group stages and then the Quarters and Semi – he just missed out by 0.060 seconds so it’s clear why he’s disappointed.

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Lotterer frustrated 

Lotterer had looked the quicker of the two Porsche drivers throughout the earlier running, and but for a late mistake on his Semis lap, he'd have been the one challenging for pole.

"I'm quite frustrated because I made a mistake in Turn 3, locked up a bit, missed the apex and got on the dust," said Lotterer

"I lost time there. I gained some back but not enough to make the Finals. It’s annoying as we had the pace. I’m always focussed and we’ve worked well with the car – we’ve made good progress.

"We’re still a young team in Formula E but we’re putting things together and you’re seeing that now with both drivers. We’re building up confidence again. Last year was not that great. Diriyah was better for us and the new qualifying format is much better for us drivers. Last year I lost P2 as my start was poor on the dust so hopefully we can improve this time around."