Race 16
The sports car manufacturer and the Swiss luxury watch brand joined forces as global partners in 2021. TAG Heuer has been the team’s title partner since Porsche entered Formula E in 2019. The squad’s third season did not conclude with the notable achievement it had hoped for at the Seoul E-Prix. André Lotterer (GER/#36) failed to reach the finish in his final race for the team. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/#94), who earned points with seventh place in Saturday’s race, also retired early both through no fault of their own.
Season 8 proved to be a rollercoaster for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. The greatest success for the team from Weissach was its historic one-two victory at the Mexico City E-Prix on 12 February 2023. In the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, pole-setter Pascal Wehrlein clinched the first victory for Porsche in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in his Porsche 99X Electric. André Lotterer followed him over the finish line in second place, making the triumph perfect for the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer at its third Formula E race of the season.
At the Rome E-Prix, André Lotterer was on his way to claiming the winner’s trophy. With just under twelve minutes left on the clock, he swept to the front of the field and held the top spot for a long stretch. At the restart after the safety car phase, he lost his advantage and had to let his rivals pass. When the safety car was deployed for a second time, he was no longer in a position to make a bid for the lead.
At the Monaco E-Prix, it was Pascal Wehrlein who was on course for victory. Tackling the race from the first grid row, he snatched the lead with a breathtaking manoeuvre at the tunnel exit before the port chicane on the legendary Grand Prix circuit in the Principality on the Côte d’Azur and managed to pull away slightly from his pursuers. However, just after the halfway mark, his Porsche 99X Electric suddenly lost speed and he was forced to retire with a technical problem.
At the other races, André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein put in strong drives, particularly in qualifying, but were not always able to match these performances in the race.
In the drivers’ classification of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Pascal Wehrlein ranks 10th after 16 races with 71 points. André Lotterer wraps up the season 12th with 63 points. In the team classification, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team lies in seventh place with 134 points.
Comments on season 8
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “This last race in Seoul was definitely not our day. Both of our drivers became entangled in other competitors’ accidents and were thrown out of contention. After just a couple of laps, Pascal had fought his way into the top 10. He was certainly on track for something more. André contested his last race for us today. I’d like to thank him very much for his dedication over the last three years. The team will miss him as a driver and a great guy. All in all, season 8 was a rollercoaster for us. There were great highlights like our one-two result in Mexico and the strong performances in Monaco and Rome, but some races and racetracks underlined our weak areas. We will now work hard on those weaknesses to make our Gen3 car a winner. Our goal for next year is clearly on consistently going for victories so that we’re in a position to fight for the world title.”
André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): “I’d like to thank the team and Porsche for three great years. During this time, we experienced many highs and lows together. We’d hoped for more successes and we surely deserved them. This year began well for us. Our one-two in Mexico was a big highlight. But the second half of the season turned gnarly, and Seoul wasn’t how I’d imagined my farewell either. I’ll miss the team – they’re like family to me. I wish the squad all the very best and great success in the future. I’ll remain with Porsche Motorsport and I’m in good hands there.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “At the moment, I’m still feeling disappointed about this weekend and our unfortunate second half of the season. Nevertheless, although we didn’t get the results we could have achieved, we showed a lot of potential. Despite everything, there were also many positives. Mexico was our highlight, of course. That’s a feeling we want to experience again as soon as possible. I’d like to thank the team for their great support, hard work, and camaraderie, too. We’ll do everything in our power to come back stronger next year and hopefully win many races.”
Next up
Season 9 of the ABB Formula E World Championship takes off with the new Gen3 racing cars at the Mexico City E-Prix on 14 January 2023.
Race 15
Porsche has earned points at the premiere of Formula E in Seoul. At race 15 of this season’s ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Pascal Wehrlein took the flag in seventh place at the wheel of his Porsche 99X Electric and earned points. His teammate André Lotterer, who contests his last race for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team on Sunday, did not reach the finish line. Both Porsche 99X Electric tackled the Seoul E-Prix sporting a new and exclusive design. In celebration of Porsche and its global partner TAG Heuer’s world premiere of the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition, their first jointly developed Smartwatch. The sports car manufacturer and the Swiss luxury watch brand joined forces as global partners in 2021, and TAG Heuer has been the title partner of the team since 2019.
In the drivers’ classification of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Pascal Wehrlein heads into the final race of the season in tenth place with 71 points. André Lotterer ranks twelfth with 63 points. In the team classification, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team lies in sixth place with 134 points.
The race at a glance
After a strong qualifying performance, Pascal Wehrlein started the penultimate race of the season on the Seoul Street Circuit from P4. However, he got a poor start off the line with his Porsche 99X Electric and lost four positions as a result. He then drove a solid race on the 2.618-kilometre circuit – part of which runs through the 1988 Olympic Stadium – to score points with seventh place. Starting from P20, the race for André Lotterer was over on the first lap. As one of eight drivers, he ploughed straight into the barrier at Turn 20 on the track which at this point was still extremely wet. His vehicle sustained such serious damages that he was unable to continue when the race restarted after a long interruption.
Comments on the Seoul E-Prix, race 15
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “That was a challenging day under difficult conditions. Pascal put in a great performance from the outset, he was strong in the free practice and qualifying in both wet and dry conditions. However, he lost four positions at the start. We still have to take a closer look at why this happened. It’s a pity because we had the pace for a podium result today and perhaps even to win the race. For André, the race was over shortly after the start when several drivers slid into Turn 20. For tomorrow’s race, we want to build on Pascal’s solid performance and wrap up the season on a positive note.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “The race itself was good but I’m not happy with the result. At the start, I had no power and lost four positions. My pace was good after that, but it was very tricky to overtake on this racetrack. It’s a shame we couldn’t do more with our solid grid position. In the final race of the season tomorrow, we want to do our absolute best again.”
André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): “That was a super difficult day. I already experienced problems in practice and qualifying and a slow puncture made it impossible to set a decent time. On the wet track with poor visibility, I carefully felt my way in the race. I took things very cautiously and braked early for Turn 20. There was so much water lying on the track that seven or eight cars drove straight ahead. Now I’m hoping that things go better for us at my last Formula E race tomorrow.”
Next up
Race 16 in Seoul gets underway on Sunday, 14 August, at 4 pm local time (9am CEST). The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E event is available on: www.fiaformulae.com/watch/ways-to-watch.
The preview
Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship draws to a close with a premiere and a jubilee at the Seoul E-Prix on 13 and 14 August. The innovative electric racing series will be held for the first time in the South Korean capital – with the 99th and 100th races of its illustrious history contested on the Seoul Street Circuit.
The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team fields two Porsche 99X Electric race cars at the final races of the season – with drivers Pascal Wehrlein (GER/#94), who claimed Porsche’s first Formula E victory this year in Mexico City, as well as André Lotterer (GER/#36), who after three years will contest his last event for the team. Rounds 15 and 16 of this season are the last outings for the Gen2 electric racers. Formula E enters a new era in season 9 with the Gen3 cars. Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E said: “In Seoul, we want to show what we’re capable of with the Gen2 car before throwing ourselves into intense preparation for Gen3.”
In the drivers’ standings of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Pascal Wehrlein heads to the final races in Seoul in 10th place with 65 points. André Lotterer ranks 11th with 63 points. With 128 points in the team standings, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team lies sixth.
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E
Season 8 turns on to the home stretch. How do you rate your season ahead of the final races in Seoul?
“We had a tough start and then made a strong comeback with a sensational one-two in Mexico. That was the highlight of the season for our team. We were also strong in Rome and Monaco. In Rome, André fought for the lead; in Monaco, Pascal was at the front of the field but retired with a technical problem. After that, we didn’t manage to achieve what we’d set out to do. We struggled in London, too, especially with overtaking. In Seoul, we’re now hoping to wrap up the season successfully.”
How excited are you about the fact that all teams will tackle the 2023 season on a level playing field with the new Gen3 cars?
“It’s always great when you can start with a blank sheet of paper with a new car. The cards are reshuffled. We need to prepare perfectly and show what we’re capable of. I’m very excited about the new Formula E era. It’s the first time that I’ve been able to help Porsche prepare for a new season. I’m looking forward to it.”
André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36)
You contest your last races for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team in Seoul. How do you feel about saying farewell?
“To be honest, I haven’t really given it much thought. There’s just been too much to do over the last few weeks. In any case, I’m really grateful for the last three years with the team and our partners. We’ve experienced highs and lows together. It was an honour to start a new chapter in motorsport with Porsche and this terrific team. Highlights like our second place at the very first race in Diriyah and our one-two result in Mexico are etched in my memory. In retrospect, we’d definitely hoped for a bit more, but that was never due to a lack of dedication. I always gave everything I had and so did the team.”
How do you rate your chances for a successful end to the season in Seoul?
“The chance is always there – now we just have to grab it. If we do a good job and pull it all together perfectly, nothing stands in our way. Things didn’t go so well for us in London recently, but we were strong on other circuits. There are definitely some Formula E racetracks that suit our car better than others. I hope that the Seoul track is such a circuit and that we can wrap up the season with a win.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94)
The track in Seoul is new for all drivers. Do you see this as an advantage and how much are you looking forward to it?
“A new circuit always brings opportunities to do things better than in the past. I’m excited for Seoul, for the city, the country and to get to know another new track. I hope we’ll have two very good races. In any case, we’ll do our utmost to bring this difficult season to a successful end.”
Season 8 concludes in Seoul. What’s your review as you head to the final races?
“We’ve seen what our strengths and weaknesses are. We had our strongest weekends on the faster circuits like Mexico City and Monaco. We struggled on racetracks with a lot of slow corners, like in London recently. Over the season we’ve progressed, but we threw points away and revealed weak areas that still have to be remedied. I hope we can do this in Seoul and then enter the Gen3 era with renewed confidence.”
The circuit
The Seoul Street Circuit is 2.618-kilometres long and features 22 turns. The circuit is located in the Seoul Sports Complex in the district of Songpa-gu, with part of it running through the Olympic Stadium. Seoul was scheduled to host a Formula E event in 2020, however, it had to be postponed twice due to the pandemic. The Seoul E-Prix debut is part of the “Seoul Festa” tourism festival with many concerts and events.
Live TV and Internet coverage
The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E event in London is available on: www.fiaformulae.com/watch/ways-to-watch.
Media service
The first photos from Seoul will be available on the Porsche press database on 12 August. The race reports will follow on 13 August (race 15) and 14 August (race 16). Further information about the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will be posted live on the Twitter channel @PorscheFormulaE. All relevant information about the team, the drivers and the racing series can be found in the updated Porsche Formula E Media Guide on Porsche Formel E Media Guide. The content will be regularly updated over the course of the season and expanded with additional interactive material.
Porsche 99X Electric
With the Porsche 99X Electric, Porsche returned to open-wheel single-seater racing in 2019 after more than 30 years. The fully-electric racing car sporting the Weissach-developed Porsche E Performance Powertrain also serves as a development platform for the sports car manufacturer’s fully-electric production models. Energy management and efficiency are important factors for success in Formula E and in the development of production cars. For the 2021/2022 season, the 99X Electric has a maximum output of 250 kW in qualification mode and 220 kW in normal race mode. Attack Mode boosts the output to 250 kW. Maximum recuperation is 250 kW; the usable battery capacity is 52 Kilowatt-hours.
Porsche Taycan Turbo S as the new safety car
Porsche is committed to Formula E safety: With the all-electric Taycan Turbo S, the sports car manufacturer supplies the official safety car this season and underlines the importance of Formula E for Porsche Motorsport. Thanks to its driveability and safety as well as an output of up to 560 kW (761 PS; Taycan Turbo S: Electric power consumption* combined (WLTP) 23.4 – 21.9 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions* combined (WLTP) 0 g/km, Electric range* combined (WLTP) 440 – 468 km, Electric range* in town (WLTP) 524 – 573 km, Electric power consumption* combined (NEDC) 26.0 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions* combined (NEDC) 0 g/km), Porsche’s first all-electric sports car is the ideal choice as a safety car in the world’s first electric racing series. With Launch Control, the flagship model of the Taycan range accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 260 km/h. The striking paintwork incorporates the colours of all eleven competing teams as well as the FIA and Formula E colours. The design symbolises the joint commitment to the future of all-electric motor racing as well as social values such as diversity and community.
Formula E
Formula E is the world’s first fully-electric racing series bringing thrilling motorsport to people living in major cities since 2014. As an accelerator for innovative and sustainable technologies of mobility, it promotes the worldwide acceptance of electric vehicles with the aim to counteract climate change. The format is compact: practice, qualifying and race all take place on one day. Each race usually runs over 45 minutes plus one lap. Eleven teams tackle the 2021/2022 season with 22 drivers. This makes for interesting and hotly contested races. This marks the third season for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team campaigning the Porsche 99X Electric.
2022 races
Sixteen races in ten of the world’s biggest cities make up the provisional 2021/2022 calendar of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Race 1 & 2
28. / 29. January – Diriyah (Saudi Arabia)
Race 3
12. February – Mexico City (Mexico)
Race 4 & 5
9. / 10. April – Rome (Italy)
Race 6
30. April – Monaco (Monaco)
Race 7 & 8
14. / 15. May – Berlin (Germany)
Race 9
4. June – Jakarta (Indonesia)
Race 10
2. July – Marrakesh (Morocco)
Race 11 & 12
16. / 17. July – New York City (USA)
Race 13 & 14
30. / 31. July – London (Great Britain)
Race 15 & 16
13. / 14. August – Seoul (South Korea)