By Carlo Platella
An certainly encouraging victory for Pascal Wehrlein and Porsche in Mexico, but which does not yet place the German duo in the role of favorites to chase the championship. The same number 94 recalled how the Zuffenhausen cars often performed well in Central America, at the end of a race in which the emphasis on efficiency and energy management was less than usual. Mexico City still returns one Porsche still competitive in 2024followed by the Jaguar-powered platoon and a little further behind by the DS-Maserati pair.
An atypical race
Starting from pole position, Pascal Wehrlein regained the lead on the 16th lap at the end of the Attack Mode lap. From that moment the Porsche standard bearer defended the leadership until the checkered flag, pushing without too many reservations: “Every lap felt like I was doing qualifying”. A phrase that well summarizes the limited need to manage energy in an E-Prix with the characteristics of a sprint race.
The only threat could come from Sebastien Buemi, who, traveling in Wehrlein's wake, could have found himself with more energy available to attack in the final. However, the Swiss made a mistake on the 26th lap, losing more than 1 second and crashing more than 2 seconds behind the pace. At that point Buemi found himself traveling in free air, losing the advantage of the slipstream and giving Wehrlein the opportunity to manage the last ten laps comfortably.
The frenetic pace at which the first E-Prix of the year took place left little space for the most important quality in Formula E to emerge, namely energy efficiency, discouraging us from drawing conclusions on the hierarchies between now and the rest of the season. It should also be considered that already since the Gen2 era, Porsche powertrains have often been competitive in Mexico, not only in the capital's racetrack, but also in the only outing in Puebla, tracks united by altitude, rarefied air and low adhesion. The most important result for the Stuttgart manufacturer in the first E-Prix remains the pole positionafter the flying lap has long been an Achilles' heel in 2023.
Decisive qualifications
Where Porsche and Wehrlein built their success was in qualifying, defined by the German as his best in the Gen3 era. The pole position will have to be confirmed, but for the moment it represents an encouraging sign on the progress made on the flying lap, a critical area in 2023. Wehrlein has regained confidence in his 99X Electric after reviewing its set-up at the end of the second free practice session. While on the one hand the team's reaction and ability to read the car's needs are positive, on the other the episode raises questions about the previous simulation and preparation work carried out in the factory.
The main merit of the winners in Mexico was the management of qualifying, during which the asphalt temperature changed repeatedly by up to 7°C, a direct consequence of the 2200 meters altitude. The key to the pole position was therefore knowing how to read the evolution of the track, adapt the driving style and tire preparation, as well as the balance of the car. Making a mistake was particularly easy, but Wehrlein was precise while being incisive, producing a very concrete performance.
The E-Prix of others
In Mexico City, fans find Sebastien Buemi on the second step of the podium, having qualified on the front row. In qualifying the Swiss got the better of Mitch Evans in the semi-final, who was unable to repeat the stratospheric 1'13''100'' recorded in the round of 16, 4 tenths faster than the other times that earned him the semi-finals. In an E-Prix where overtaking was prohibitive, Jaguar pays penalty positions on the grid remedied by their drivers, due to failure to comply with the red flag procedure in free practice. The British manufacturer still celebrates the podium with Nick Cassidy, cleverly using the Attack Modes to regain the position on Gunther.
Mitch Evans he was the protagonist of a more difficult race than his teammate. Halfway through the race the New Zealander found himself with 1% less energy than his direct rivals, and from then on began to distance himself from the leading quartet. Thus finding himself traveling in free air, the energy deficit compared to those following him grew even more, but the layout of the track came to Evans' aid in his strenuous defense on Vergne.
The performance of the Stellantis powered vehicles is positive, as expected, immediately behind Jaguar and Porsche. Excellent test for Maserati with Maximilian Gunther, waiting for Daruvala to take measures with a historically difficult category for rookies, as well as that of the two DS. In general, the starting field remains extremely balanced, with the first four within eighty thousandths of a second in both qualifying groups.
In such a context, details take on a decisive role, while mistakes are paid dearly, as Jake Dennis' qualifying big man, which relegated the world champion to the seventh row of the grid. Precisely the importance of not neglecting any aspect gives even more value to the concreteness of the Jaguar-powered cars, all of which qualified for the round of 16 and with 3 out of 4 drivers in the top five at the end of the E-Prix. Porsche and Wehrlein enjoy their first victory of the season, but the response from the competition could come very soon.
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