Formula E Season 10: Looking back at unforgettable success for Porsche

It was a year of high drama, intense challenges and the expected rollercoaster of all-electric action, but 2024 will be the season remembered for Pascal Wehrlein and TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team triumphing in one of the ABB FIA Formula E world championships toughest title fights ever.

It all began back in October 2023, with the official pre-season test at Valencia where Pascal Wehrlein and António Félix da Costa undertook three days of intensive testing and development. Joining them on that occasion was Gabriela Jilkova, stepping in as a rookie for the important test.

Starting the season: Mexico City and beyond

A fruitful few days in Spain preceded the first round of the 2023-24 campaign as Wehrlein and da Costa arrived in Mexico City, the now traditional starting point for the season.

Amid the high altitude, highly-charged fan favourite of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, they had differing weekends with Wehrlein dominating proceedings to take a clear pole and win, after a relatively straightforward victory on the notoriously difficult to overtake circuit.

Meanwhile, da Costa battled hard in the midfield but was was forced to retire after contact with Nico Mueller’s Abt Mahindra, also taking a three place penalty for the altercation.

At the end of January, the first double-header of the season took place at the fearsomely fast Diriyah circuit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It had been the scene of strong Porsche showings in previous years, with Wehrlein having won twice last year.

He was again quick in qualifying, placing sixth before racing to an eight place finish. A day later brought more strong points with a fight up to seventh from 10th on the grid.

For da Costa there was frustration after a tough weekend that brought no points and plenty of soul searching ahead of the next round in São Paulo, Brazil.

The second São Paulo E-Prix witnessed another strong weekend, with Wehrlein claiming his second pole of the season with a committed final duel lap against 2022 Formula E champion Stoffel Vandoorne.

But the race, which was the first true pack-race of the season with high energy targets, saw multiple leaders and the competitors juggling with energy management and extreme temperatures under the hot southern hemisphere sun.

Wehrlein managed to fight his corner well and take fourth place, while da Costa gratefully took his first points of the season with a solid sixth place in his Porsche 99X Electric.

Five rounds in: Tokyo and a return to Europe

Porsche was in the pink, literally, for the next round at the inaugural Tokyo E-Prix in late March. In conjunction with title partner TAG Heuer, the Porsche 99X Electric ran with a neon pink foil livery - a visual homage to Tokyo, with its world-famous neon signs at night and to Japanese street art and car culture.

It brought good luck on the streets of the Japanese capital as António Félix da Costa converted a ninth placed start into fourth position at the chequered flag after a crowd-pleasing battle with Oliver Rowland’s Nissan in the late stages of the race.

Wehrlein took fifth place to keep a narrow lead at the top of the points standings as the championship headed back to Europe for three races at Misano and Monaco.

At the Italian rounds, held at Misano for the first time, Wehrlein had to digest a frustrating first race after he got a damaged car via contact with Jean-Eric Vergne’s DS Penske. That dropped him to the rear of the field and out of the points.

Da Costa though surged through the field to go from 14th on the grid to first, and he celebrated his second win for Porsche after a thrilling contest. Those celebrations though had to be tempered when da Costa was incredibly harshly disqualified for the use of an incorrect throttle damper spring, despite it being used on several occasions prior to Misano and by multiple teams.

The decision, which was caveated by it being deemed to have not being of beneficial use from a performance viewpoint, was fiercely protested by the team but the upshot was that the points would ultimately be lost.

A day later, TAG Heuer Porsche fought back brilliantly as Wehrlein took his second victory of the season with a brilliant display that saw him re-take his championship points lead.

The jewel in the crown of the season, the Monaco E-Prix, took place at the end of April and it proved to be a memorable weekend, one in which Porsche again gained strong points.

Wehrlein took his third pole of the season with a brilliant lap but dropped back behind his pursuers after taking an early attack mode. With overtaking notoriously difficult on the Principality streets Wehrlein managed to seal fourth place, while da Costa fought gamely to grab seventh position.

Heading home: Berlin double-header and the closing stages

The two Porsche home races at the Berlin Tempelhof airfield track in May were perhaps the most memorable of the season, as da Costa achieved what had never been done before – a home victory.

He perfectly judged the Sunday race to triumph and send the thousands of Porsche fans and guests in to delirious joy. With Wehrlein backing that up with a fourth place, it was a day of celebration following on from a fifth and sixth place for Wehrlein and da Costa respectively a day earlier.

The first ever visit to Shanghai at the end of May saw yet more success as Wehrlein took a second in Saturday’s race and da Costa claimed his second win in as many events with a beautifully judged victory on the Sunday.

There was frustration for Wehrlein though as he so a good position in Sunday’s race lost after being taken out of contention by Sam Bird who clipped his Porsche 99X Electric and caused a puncture.

From China to the U.S in June as Portland was again the venue for Formula E’s stateside visit. More drama unfolded as da Costa scooped a sensational double victory to put himself in to an outsider status for the title!

Wehrlein meanwhile had his grittiest performance of the season coping with a detached front-wing to grab 12 points for fourth and ensure he went in to the title finale at London just 12 points away from Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy.

The grand finale: London’s explosive drama

Befitting of the drama that permeated the whole of the 2023-24 championship, London saw Wehrlein rise to the challenge and take a brilliant win in race one, defeating fellow title protagonist Mitch Evans in a straight fight. The win was also Porsche’s fourth victory in succession.

That set up a dramatic shoot-out on Sunday as Wehrlein went head to head with the two Jaguar drivers in a no-holds barred fight for the title.

In scenes of high tension Wehrlein, like rival Evans, chose to save his attack mode charges until late but a safety car threatened to spoil the plans as Oliver Rowland’s Nissan surged to the front.

Put Wehrlein stayed cool and unflappable to fend off Evans and Cassidy and take second position to register 198 points and take the title by just six points from Evans.

With da Costa ably supporting in the fight, TAG Heuer Porsche also sealed a strong second place in the teams and manufacturers titles to cap its most successful season in Formula E.

It was also one that saw the team take seven wins, the most ever by one team in the all-electric series.

2024 key statistics

Pascal Wehrlein

Car: #94 Porsche 99X Electric Wins: 3 Poles: 3 Points: 198 Position in Championship: 1st

António Félix da Costa

Car: #13 Porsche 99X Electric Wins: 4 Points: 134 Position in Championship: 6th