TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team narrowly retained the lead of the Constructors’ Championship at the inaugural Portland E-Prix, after Pascal Wehrlein endured a challenging race at the Portland International Raceway.
Porsche saw their lead over Envision Racing reduce from twenty-two points to just six, after they managed to finish first and fifth. The German manufacturer on the other hand had to settle for third and eighth, with António Félix da Costa‘s podium having somewhat saved the side. The Portuguese driver had a solid drive in Portland, as he finished third after starting in seventh. He even managed to briefly lead the race; however, he dropped back to preserve energy.
Wehrlein on the other hand experienced a frustrating day on the West Coast, as he started the race in eighteenth. The German did well to recover to eighth; however, he did lose the lead of the Drivers’ Championship once again. The result has left the team with work to do in both championships ahead of the Rome double-header, where Wehrlein will need a big performance to stay in the title fight.
Team Principal Florian Modlinger was impressed by how “admirably” Wehrlein fought, whilst he revealed that the team were “pleased” with D Costa’s podium. However, he did admit that the side struggled in qualifying again, something they desperately need to work on.
“That was a very challenging and strategic race that ended with a podium finish for António. Our qualifying wasn’t ideal. Pascal, however, worked his way up the field admirably but was repeatedly caught up in incidents that resulted in him losing ground. Had this not happened, it might have been enough for a top 6 result. Antonio’s race was great. He stayed among the frontrunners and sometimes led the field. We’re pleased with his podium result.
“In Rome, we now have to make sure that we close the gap in the drivers’ standings.”