MORTARA RULES ROOST AS WEHRLEIN RUES RULES
It’s ironic that the Valley of Mexico should sit well in excess of 2000 metres above sea level. And there’s something in the very thin air in this region that’s seemingly hellbent on scuppering Pascal Wehrlein and his pursuit of a maiden Formula E victory. It’s the same air that appears to profit Lucas di Grassi time and time again as he ended a protracted drought to land a third triumph in the region. Meanwhile, the altitude left Edoardo Mortara utterly breathless on his way to the spoils the next day to depart Latin America with a comparatively commanding points lead by the standards of the series.
Wehrlein was just 10 metres away from scoring the win in Mexico City in 2019 when his Mahindra Racing machine swigged the last of its energy and he fell prey to di Grassi at the line, the Brazilian’s second success at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Fans rose to their feet in celebration and after such a show, they returned to the venue in their droves last season. As championship chief executive officer Jamie Reigle told Autosport last Friday: “Mexico is one of the few markets where we’ve got real traction.”
But with the classic Formula 1 venue currently housing a COVID-19 vaccination centre, it couldn’t reprise its electric role in 2021. With Reigle “adamant” the country wouldn’t fall off the calendar, it led to an unlikely call up for the off-beat Miguel E Abed circuit that’s a 45-minute drive from the city of Puebla.
