Andrea PerilliPascal Wehrlein scored his first-ever victory in Formula E at the Mexico City E-Prix. The German driver led a Porsche 1-2 finish, giving the team their first win in the championship.
Wehrlein got his long-awaited redemption on Mexican soil. After two previous races to forget, this year’s Mexico City E-Prix proved the saying third-time lucky, as the German took his first victory in the series.
Back in Season 5, the German was close to finishing the race in the first position, but he ultimately ran out of energy and was later given a penalty which caused him to drop to P6. For the 2021 edition, the E-Prix was held in the neighbouring city of Puebla, where Wehrlein took the win but he was stripped out of his victory as he got disqualified for a technical infringement.
But tables turned for the Porsche driver ahead of this year’s edition. He clinched pole position, reaching the final stage of qualifying and snatching pole after Edoardo Mortara spun in the last turn.
The race was off to a clean start, where Wehrlein was able to defend his lead. But the German was not unchallenged, as the drivers behind him pushed hard to pass him and take the lead of the race.
Mortara was one of his strongest competitors. The Swiss driver was able to overtake him and lead the race for several laps. The battle at the front was on.
Andre Lotterer, who had qualified in third position, joined the fight for the lead of the race. Jean-Eric Vergne and Robin Frijns were also part of the train that was pushing hard for a spot within the Top 3, to later fight for the lead.
Ultimately, Wehrlein recaptured the lead and maintained his position until the chequered flag was waved, while teammate Lotterer positioned himself in second position. The Porsche duo, one of the strongest of the weekend, managed to score a 1-2 win.
Lotterer is now tied with Nick Heidfeld for having most podiums without a win in the fully-electric series.
Vergne, in the DS Techeetah, completed the podium, a driver who had an impressive drive and whose participation in the race was uncertain until the last minute due to suffering from food poisoning the day before the race. He was followed by teammate da Costa and Mortara closing up the top five.
Reigning champion Nyck de Vries did not have the easiest of races but still managed to score a sixth-place finish. Frijns finished seventh, while di Grassi did so in eighth position, but he was given a five-second penalty which caused him to drop to P12.
Sebastien Buemi ultimately finished eighth, followed by Maximilian Guenther, and Jake Dennis to complete the top ten.
Bethonie Waring
