Porsche Formula E Team narrowly misses first podium of 2022 season

Porsche’s TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team narrowly missed out on its chance of claiming its first podium result during the second night race at the season opener of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

The team had a disappointing start with Pascal Wehrlein scoring 11th place with his number 94 Porsche 99X Electric at Race 1 in Diriyah. During the said time, his teammate André Lotterer finished at 13th place with the number 36 car.

“After my top time in the last free practice, I’d expected a bit more in qualifying. But the track conditions changed quickly here and somehow we didn’t manage to adapt well enough. My pace was good in the race, but the safety car at the end prevented me from overtaking. Still, we learned a lot this weekend and I’m confident that we can show our full potential in Mexico,” explained Wehrlein.

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team did well in the second race’s qualifiers and saw Lotterer start on P5. In his Porsche 99X Electric, André drove with the leading pack over the entire distance, advanced to fourth place in the final spurt and thus laid the foundation for a podium finish.

Both Porsche drivers went full throttle in Race 2 where Lotterer secured a strong fourth place for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team while Wehrlein finished ninth.

“Though we earned important points for fourth place, I’m leaving Diriyah with mixed feelings. A podium result would have been possible today. After the experiences from Race 1, I tried to be a bit more conservative with the energy. I was overtaken by two cars but still managed to establish a good position for the final phase. Still, fourth is a good result and it makes us confident for the next race in Mexico,” Lotterer revealed.

“The team worked hard during the night to sort out the issues from Race 1. They did a great job. Pascal impressed with a top time in the third free practice session and André again secured a good grid spot in qualifying. But then the safety car threw a spanner in the works. Still, it was a great turnaround after the hard yards we suffered yesterday,” said Porsche Formula E Head of Operations Amiel Lindesay.

The next race for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is scheduled for February 12. The race in Mexico City E-Prix will mark the third round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Photos from Porsche

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