A "weight has been lifted" at German giants TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team following its first ABB FIA Formula E World Championship victory last time out in Mexico City - and both Pascal Wehrlein and Andre Lotterer are not done yet.
Wehrlein led home a dominant Porsche one-two at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with the team inflicting an extra 40th lap on the field with just a couple of seconds remaining on the clock. Porsche's perfectly calculated strategy yielded double silverware and both Wehrlein and the outfit's breakthrough in electric motorsport.
Preparation is key
"The preparation started in the simulator," said Wehrlein. "We could see that it was close between 39 and 40 laps on-track. You need to look at lap times, what could happen in the race, how the track evolution might be and the engineers did an amazing job to get it right. It was close in the end, and we forced another lap by one or two seconds. It was definitely the right call and key to winning the race.
Highlights: 2022 Mexico City E-Prix
"It was very important to stay cool at the beginning obecause two cars overtook us in the first couple of laps. We didn’t know if they might have had more pace or if they were running a different strategy, so we stuck to our plan and strategy. It turned out that from the mid-race onwards, we had more energy and then we had more pace – in the end, a lot more. That was because we got it right strategy-wise from the beginning and it was great teamwork and a great team effort.
"It’s an amazing feeling but the focus switched straight away to the next race and Rome. But, looking back at Mexico, it was the perfect win for us. One-two and pole position – I couldn’t ask for more."
HIGHLIGHTS: Relive the 2022 Mexico City E-Prix
"It’s a very nice feeling for everyone in the team, myself and for Pascal (Wehrlein)," added Lotterer, the rear-gunner in this one-two and key to making it happen. "It’s a very important moment because we can feed off it and have more confidence in what we’re doing. It’s also confirmation we’re going in the right direction. It’s very motivating and energising – especially so early in the season.
"I would have loved to win for myself, for sure, but we worked as a team to not waste energy battling each other. I could have been in a position to push but we decided to hold positions. I qualified behind Pascal, which dictated the rest of the race. If there was a need, we could have swapped positions but there was no need and that’s how it is when you race as a team.
"It paid off because the gap was really big – we demonstrated that with a very dominant win and a disciplined strategy. I just have to qualify in front next time!"
"A weight's been lifted"
Having entered Formula E back in 2019/20, Porsche had long been chasing that elusive first win, despite coming close on a number of occasions. The brand's name and sporting heritage weighs heavy and expectations are inevitably high as to the Stuttgart team's results.
With two previous shots at the win in Mexico itself, both of Wehrlein's efforts at a maiden victory had also been thwarted - one by a devastating finish line overtake by then-Audi driver Lucas di Grassi in 2019 and another thorough disqualification in Puebla in 2021 - the closest Porsche had come. But 2022 would be their year.
"It was a huge relief, I would say," adds Lotterer. "We had board members there cheering us on and they were with us on the podium. When Porsche enters a championship it’s not to participate it’s to win.
"We’ve been close and we’ve had tough days but this is something that makes those moments worthwhile when you put a lot of energy into a project. It’s a weight off our shoulders and we can perform with a bit less pressure on us."
"Puebla was a shame last year for us – winning on-track but being disqualified afterwards," says 27-year-old Wehrlein. I think expectations on us as a team are always high and on when we would finally get our first win having been close a couple of times. One of our big goals was to win our first one and to do that already, by the second race weekend, is great.
"My expectations don’t change. I want to win every race and extract the maximum every time I get in the car – and I want to fight for the championship. For me, nothing’s changed after Mexico."
Doubling down in Rome?
The momentum looks to be with Porsche after Mexico with Wehrlein and Lotterer third and fourth in the Drivers' table and Porsche third in the Teams' table. That said, the German pair are well aware of Mercedes-EQ's strong showing in Diriyah and that every race opens up a new set of variables and possibilities. They're taking nothing for granted.
Porsche's breakthrough: Wehrlein heads Lotterer home in Mexico City
"Rome’s one of my favourite tracks; it’s a fun one," says Wehrlein, who sealed third place on last year's visit to the Italian capital. "I had a podium there and it was my first at Porsche. Hopefully, the car’s strong again and we’ll try everything to be competitive. We’re fully motivated to win again and we’ll do everything to be competitive again.
"Every race is different and winning in Mexico doesn’t men you’ll be up there at the next one but we’re in a good position. We have a strong package and the momentum from Mexico has to help, for sure."
TICKETS: Secure your seat for the 2022 Rome E-Prix
"I enjoy racing in Rome a lot. I think it's very prestigious city and location to race at, and that’s the great thing about Formula E – it gives us that opportunity," adds Lotterer. "The circuit layout is great, it’s very fun and there’s a lot of uphills, downhills and challenging corners as well as some high-speed sections.
"The crowd is always very passionate, too. I remember being on the podium there and hearing them cheer – it was a nice moment for me and I’m aiming for that again.
Last time out in Rome: Wehrlein's first silverware of Season 7
"We’re always focussed on perfoming at our best and optimizing everything. We did that in Mexico. We worked hard to understand why we were above the rest so we can repeat the same kind of performance. The ambition is always to score as many points as possible with both cars."
Berlin and home soil on the horizon
The trip to Rome on 9 & 10 April kicks off the European season in earnest, with Monaco to follow a fortnight later and a double-header in Berlin on 14 & 15 May.
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"Berlin is a big race for us," said Lotterer. "I’m a quarter Berliner as my grandfather came from there – there might be some relatives there cheering me on or giving me luck!
"I love racing in front of the home fans and to welcome them back after a difficult time in the pandemic and it’s a great location for that as it can accommodate so many fans right in the heart of the city. It’s a huge E-Village at Tempelhof and it’s very welcoming for fans – I love going there.
"It’s important to put on a show. The Germans know their motorsport and it’s a big race. We’d always prefer a calm race to victory rather than be the entertainers but a last lap heroic overtake for the win would always be the dream!
TICKETS: Book your spot in Berlin
"Tempelhof is a very technical track to race at – it’s not easy. It’s a lot of medium, high-speed sections with a bit more space than you would get somewhere like Rome, for example. The tricky factor is the concrete surface which is quite aggressive on the tyres which requires us to drive a certain way but we’re hoping to bring home the win!"
"Berlin is one of the highlights of the season – for me as a German driver but also as part of a German team," agrees Wehrlein. "We can always count on many fans there cheering for us and it gives us that extra boost and motivation – I always look forward to racing there.
"We always want to put on a good show and extract as much as we can and friends, family and Porsche guys from the factory will be watching on at the home race – it’s a track that always makes for good racing."