Wehrlein dominates opening London E-Prix to take title lead into Formula E finale

Pascal Wehrlein dominated the first race of the London E-Prix from pole position to give his title challenge a huge boost before Sunday’s ABB Formula E world championship season finale.

The Porsche driver began the race five points adrift of championship leader Jake Dennis after qualifying, and benefited early on from his teammate Nico Mueller who backed up the pack behind him, allowing Wehrlein to escape into a commanding early lead.

Behind Mueller was Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans but Dan Ticktum, driving for Porsche customer Cupra Kiro, hounded him early on in a bid to help his powertrain supplier.

Evans came closest to passing Mueller on lap 5 at Turn 1, then later in the final sequence of corners but failed to get by while Wehrlein was out of sight, three seconds up the road. When a full course yellow came out on lap 6 to recover the stricken Lola Yamaha Abt of Zane Maloney who'd been hit by Edoardo Mortara at Turn 9, Evans lamented over the radio, “It’s clear what they’re doing. It’s a bit over the limit – he’s just going to take me out if I try and pass him,” referencing Mueller’s defensive driving.

Evans pitted on Lap 16 and emerged ahead of Drugovich to negate that challenge, then immediately went for Attack Mode, the additional power and clear air crucial if he was to mount a challenge to Wehrlein.

It looked like he would, too, but another FCY on lap 21, this time for Lucas di Grassi who lost his brakes and ended up in the Turn 9 wall, cost him some of his Attack Mode – along with a host of other drivers – Wehrlein pitted as the track went under yellow, and with the track going back to green as his stop finished, he'd been given a huge gift, while Evans' supposed resurgence was stunted.

From then on, Wehrlein cycled back to first and continued his dominance. He eventually crossed the line 5.777s ahead of second place.

Dennis had pitted at the same time as Wehrlein and then made the most of the energy he'd conserved earlier, passing Antonio Felix da Costa – another driver who benefited from the timing of his pit stop with the second FCY to move up the order – for third at Turns 1 and 2 on lap 29.

A lap later Dennis lunged past Ticktum, who'd found his way in second but struggling with energy saving and grip, at Turn 1. Ticktum was clinging onto third, equal on energy to da Costa who passed him on lap 34. The Kiro driver tried to respond two laps later at Turn 16 but was unsuccessful.

That then opened the door for Sebastien Buemi, with the two making contact. Buemi got through, then at Turn 1 on the following lap, Mortara also moved ahead after contact that resulted in a five-second penalty, dropping him from fifth on the road at the end of the race to seventh, back behind Ticktum. To add insult to injury, Taylor Barnard also slipped by in the commotion for sixth on the road, later fifth after Mortara’s penalty was applied.

The drama didn’t help Evans too much, with him coming home eighth behind them, with late Attack Mode users Nick Cassidy and Oliver Rowland – who took the fastest lap and with it an additional point – splitting him and Mueller.

Going into this weekend, nine drivers had a mathematical chance at taking the title. That number now sits at three following Wehrlein’s near-perfect score of pole position and the race win, Dennis’ podium, and Evans’ salvaging of eighth place.

Wehrlein has taken the lead, albeit just by five points over Dennis in a reversal of their standing prior to the race. Evans started the race equal second to Wehrlein but is now third, 19 points off the top spot with 29 on offer on Sunday. Oliver Rowland’s title defense is now officially over with him sitting in third, 35 points off the lead.

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