Porsche Unveil Striking Design On Season Nine Challenger

TAG Heuer Porsche FE Team are more than ready for the start of a new ABB FIA Formula E season, following the launch of their first-ever Gen3 challenger, the 99X Electric.

The team officially launched the car on Monday in the Porsche Experience Center in Franciacorta, Italy, in what was an action-packed unveiling. The German manufacturer already have one-up on their closest rivals, after becoming the first manufacturer to launch their Gen3 car, with the series set to see the lightest, fastest and most powerful cars yet.

The smaller, more efficient cars should on paper produce more overtaking and better racing, with Porsche presumably hoping that their striking new livery (based off the team’s brand purpose “Driven by Dreams”) will be at the front of the pack. Pascal Wehrlein remains with the team for another year, whilst he is joined for Season Nine by a new team-mate, Antonio Felix da Costa who, of course, is replacing Andre Lotterer after moving to Porsche from DS Techeetah.

In an official release by the German outfit, Da Costa revealed that the new, more “powerful” cars “bring a smile” to his face, with the Portuguese driver targeting victories “as quickly as possible”; is a second title on the cards?.

“Our new car is a big step forward. It’s lighter and more powerful than its predecessor – that alone brings a smile to a racing driver’s face. As a newcomer to the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, I’ve used the last few weeks to get to know the engineers and mechanics and to find my place in the squad.

“The team has made it very easy for me. I felt comfortable right from the get-go. I also get along well with my new teammate Pascal, whom I’ve raced against in various series. We have a common goal, namely to bring Porsche to the top. Porsche is a brand synonymous with victories. We want to deliver those as quickly as possible with the new Porsche 99X Electric Gen3.”

Credit: Porsche Motorsport Media

For Wehrlein, he is now entering his third season with one of the championship’s powerhouses, and is in desperate need of a strong season. Two poles and a victory are all the German has to write home about, with the side arguably set to raise their expectations considerably, given that they now have a Formula E Champion amongst them.

Gen3 is a much needed fresh start for Porsche, who are rumoured to have completed the most miles in testing so far; however, they, like a lot of the sides, have endured their fair share of issues.

Wehrlein has a “good feeling” with the car going into the new season, which begins in Mexico City on 14th January.

“We’re experiencing exciting times as a team at the moment. During the tests with our new car, I had a good feeling right from the start. We gained a lot of insights and made great progress. At the very beginning, it was about getting the car running, but very quickly it became just as much about performance. And, of course, efficiency, which will also be a key to success with the new generation of cars. These were incredibly exciting experiences for me.

“We still have some time before the season starts. We’ll use that to become better acquainted with the Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 and put the puzzle pieces together so that we’re optimally prepared for the start of the season-opening race in Mexico.”

Credit: Porsche Motorsport Media

Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport, is delighted with the package delivered by the Germans development team in Weissach. Laudenbach is very much looking forward to the “new era” of the series and believes his side can be “truly proud” of the 99X Electric.

“We’re delighted to be able to present the new Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 to the world. Our development team in Weissach have invested a great deal of work, experience, heart and soul into this race car. They can all be truly proud of the result. Like the all-new Formula E generation, the Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 represents a technological milestone in all-electric racing.

“For Formula E and also for Porsche, campaigning these new cars from season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is a significant step into the future of motorsport. We’re looking forward to the start of the season and a new era.”