Pascal Wehrlein: “We know precisely what we have to do to be able to compete at the top”

Pascal Wehrlein says he is itching to get back to racing this weekend in Rome after winning for the first time in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship last time out in Mexico City.

The Tag Heuer Porsche FE Team driver took his and his team’s first victory around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez at the end of February, and he is looking for a repeat of that success this weekend in the Italian capital.

Wehrlein took his first Porsche podium in the Rome E-Prix last year, and after the success in Mexico, he arrives in Italy full of confidence.

“Those days in Mexico were super exciting,” said Wehrlein.  “We had a fantastic weekend with pole, my first win for Porsche and the first Formula E victory for Porsche.

“Now, of course, we want to keep winning races. I feel that we understand our car better and better and we know precisely what we have to do to be able to compete at the top.

“And, of course, I’m itching to get racing after the long break, especially after doing so well last year in Rome where I scored my first podium with Porsche. We’ll do everything we can on this wonderful racetrack to pick up where we left off in Mexico.”

After just a single race in Mexico, this weekend will see two races in Rome, and Wehrlein says he prefers having a double header as it means he can learn more about the car that will benefit him across the rest of the year.

Wehrlein says the team remain motivated as they bid to improve their third place in the Teams’ Championship, and he knows that they need to be consistently inside the top ten every weekend if they are to stay in contention for the title.

“I definitely prefer two races,” he admitted.  “The longer I can sit in the car, the better. We’re heading to Rome feeling good, although we can’t take anything for granted just because we won in Mexico.

“Still, the team is highly motivated and our clear goal is to win – in Rome and at all the other races this season. We currently rank third in the world championship and we’re not far off the leader.

“If we want to stay in the race for the title, we need to consistently finish in the top group and earn as many points as possible from every race – even if it’s not always enough to win.”

“I simply have to do better in the next qualifying” – André Lotterer

Team-mate André Lotterer finished second to Wehrlein in Mexico City, and although he would have preferred to take the win, he adhered to team orders and settled for the runners-up spot.

However, the fact he was behind Wehrlein was in part due to his qualifying shortfalls, and Lotterer is looking to put right his shortfalls and find the pace to put him at the front of the field during the all-important Qualifying sessions.

“I was delighted about the one-two result for Porsche,” said Lotterer.  “I was part of this project right from the start and, like everyone involved, I invested a lot of time and energy into achieving success.

“Of course, I’d have preferred to win in Mexico. The potential was there and I was very pleased with my performance, but we chose to work together as a team and that was certainly the right thing to do.

“The problem for me was in qualifying. Things didn’t go perfectly and so I started behind Pascal. We then won the race as a team, without fighting and without wasting energy. I’m a professional and my priority is to compete for Porsche. I simply have to do better in the next qualifying.”

Like Wehrlein, Lotterer says there is motivation within the Porsche set-up after their performance in Mexico, and he hopes that the momentum from that result can carry forward into the Rome E-Prix double-header this weekend.

“I have a good feeling because we were fast on this racetrack last year,” he said.  “This city has a great vibe. Driving against this ancient backdrop is a huge privilege for Formula E and for me, it’s a highlight of the season.

“After our success in Mexico, we’re feeling very motivated. We notice that we’re getting better from race to race and this steady improvement is exactly what we need to keep winning. I’m expecting to do well in Rome.

“A top-three result would definitely boost our position in the world championship.”