Race 1
It was a perfect start to the season for Pascal Wehrlein and the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. After setting pole position with his Porsche 99X Electric, the German went on to score an outstanding win on the 2,628-kilometre circuit through the legendary Foro Sol baseball stadium. This marked the fifth victory for the Porsche works driver in the innovative electric racing series.
For his teammate António Félix da Costa (POR), however, the race at the highest circuit (2,285-metre altitude) on the Formula E calendar came to an early end on lap three: after starting from P16 on the grid, damage to the suspension of his Porsche 99X Electric due to a collision forced him to retire.
Both Porsche 99X Electric fielded by the Porsche customer team Andretti Formula E kicked off the season in the points: World champion Jake Dennis, the 2023 Mexico winner, finished ninth after a difficult qualifying session saw him start from P14. Norman Nato (FRA), his new teammate in the racing team of US motorsport legend Michael Andretti, finished tenth after 37 laps.
Comments on the Mexico City E-Prix, Race 1
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “A huge thank you to the team for this tremendous effort. What a great start to the season with Pascal’s outstanding drive. After a flawless qualifying performance, he started from pole and with a super strategy, was extremely focused in the race. António wasn’t completely happy with the car in qualifying. He made up a few positions in the race before having to retire due to suspension damage after a collision. The qualification didn’t run perfectly for our customer team Andretti Formula E, however in the race, Jake and Norman battled their way up the order and into the points. Pascal’s victory outshines everything.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “It’s fantastic to start the season with a win. We had a very strong weekend. After last season, we spent a huge amount of time analysing everything and we put our focus on preparing for the qualifying. Our pole today is proof that this hard work has paid off. A big thanks to my team for this.”
António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): “Pascal’s win underlines that we have a formidable package with which we can compete for the world championship. Today was difficult for me. To retire so early in the first race of the season isn’t nice. Still, I’m looking ahead.”
Next up
The next event for Porsche in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the Diriyah E-Prix on 26 and 27 January with rounds 2 and 3.
Porsche in Formula E
The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team heads into its fifth Formula E season with the Weissach-developed Porsche 99X Electric. With four victories for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, 2023 was the most successful year since the sports car manufacturer entered the all-electric racing series. Since last season, Porsche has supported the customer team, Andretti Formula E, which promptly won the world championship title with the Porsche 99X Electric and Jake Dennis. With the all-electric Taycan Turbo S, Porsche again supplies the official safety car in 2024, thus underlining the importance of Formula E for Porsche Motorsport.
Preview
After intensive preparation work with tests on the racetrack and in the simulator, the time has come to put the cards on the table at the season opener in the Mexican metropolis. The race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez marks the start of a season with events in fascinating cities such as Berlin, London and São Paulo. New to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship calendar are races in Tokyo, Shanghai and Misano.
After winning four races and fighting for the world championship title until the final round of last season, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team returns in 2024 with two of the Weissach-developed Porsche 99X Electric cars driven by the works drivers Pascal Wehrlein (#94) and António Félix da Costa (#13). The Porsche customer team Andretti Formula E will also field a pair of Porsche 99X Electric. Last season, the American squad owned by the US motorsport legend Michael Andretti tapped the full potential of the package that Porsche provided: in the Porsche 99X Electric, Jake Dennis (UK) drove to title glory in the drivers’ world championship. The defending champion, who laid the foundation for his 2023 triumph with victory in Mexico, has a new teammate: Norman Nato contests his first season in the Porsche 99X Electric.
Comments on the Mexico City E-Prix, Race 1
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “Following the latest tests, we’re heading to Mexico very well prepared, where we’re fielding four Porsche 99X Electric cars this coming season. In the recent weeks and months, we’ve worked particularly hard on our qualifying performance, which we, as the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, weren’t always totally satisfied with in season 9. I’m confident that we’ve made considerable progress in this area. Another focus of our preparation was the software optimisation of the overall package. We’re entering season 10 with an almost unchanged squad and we’re expecting a balanced grid with very strong competitors, including our customer team Andretti Formula E. Porsche’s goal is to be competitive with all four Porsche 99X Electric cars right from the get-go, to win races and to fight for the world championship title right to the end.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “This race kicks off the season on a real high note. The track is spectacular and the fans create an electric atmosphere. Mexico has always been good for us. The conditions are tricky because the air is very thin at this altitude, which feels like double the effort. The downforce in fast corners and braking is also not quite as high. But our team is excellently placed for the season. We’ve used the preparation time intensively and improved in all areas. We had a very strong car in season 9 but didn’t always get everything right in qualifying. We have to do better this time. I’m certain that we’ll achieve this.”
António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): “The competition in Formula E is getting tougher every year. I’ve been involved since the beginning and can imagine what awaits us this season. But we’ve also improved. I know the car and the team much better than I did in my first season with Porsche. I can’t wait to turn this experience into strong results. The calendar for season 10 is fantastic. I’m really looking forward to the races in Monaco and Tokyo, which are absolute highlights. São Paulo will certainly be another very special race. But first, it’s off to Mexico. Opening the season with a win would be ideal. That’s what we’re working towards.”
The racetrack
The opening round of season 10 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez will be contested on a shortened 2,628-kilometre version of the Grand Prix circuit. The track, which was built in honour of the Mexican racing legends Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez, lies at an altitude of 2,285 metres, making it the highest on the Formula E calendar. The unique infield section running through the legendary Foro Sol baseball stadium is particularly spectacular. With a grandstand capacity of 40,000, the avid fans create a thrilling atmosphere.
Live TV and Internet coverage
The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E event is available at https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/ways-to-watch.
The Media Service
The first photos from Mexico City will be available on the Porsche press database during the night of 12 to 13 January. The report from race 1 follows on 13 January. Further information about the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will be posted live on the X-channel (formerly Twitter) @PorscheFormulaE. All relevant information about the team, the drivers and the racing series can be found in the Porsche Newsroom. The content will be regularly updated throughout the season and expanded with additional interactive material.
The partners
The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team heads into season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship supported by 12 partners. The manufacturer of luxury watches TAG Heuer continues as the title and timing partner. After a successful first season, Cato Networks, the provider of the world’s leading SASE cloud platform, and the wealth management group Julius Bär remain on board as on-car partners. As a long-standing motorsport partner, ExxonMobil is represented on the Porsche 99X Electric racers with its Mobil1 brand, as is ABB as an official charging partner and the simulation software specialist ANSYS. The list of 8 on-car partners includes LOCTITE of the brand and technology enterprise Henkel, and the sports lifestyle company Puma. Other official partners of the team include the US enterprise NetApp, which specialises in intelligent data infrastructure, and the renowned Swiss company Humbel, which specialises in the development and production of innovative gear technology. The fashion company Hugo Boss and the Italian helmet manufacturer Stilo also head into the new season with the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team.
Porsche in Formula E
The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team heads into its fifth Formula E season with the Weissach-developed Porsche 99X Electric. Thanks to four victories courtesy of Pascal Wehrlein (3) and António Félix da Costa (1), 2023 was the most successful year since the sports car manufacturer entered the all-electric racing series. For the first time last season, Porsche supported a customer team, Andretti Formula E. The squad promptly won the world championship title with the Porsche 99X Electric and Jake Dennis. With the all-electric Taycan Turbo S, Porsche again supplies the official safety car in 2024, thus underlining the importance of Formula E for Porsche Motorsport.