On a weekend when Usain Bolt got to grips with a Formula E machine, the wait to officially declare a winner from the championship’s season-opening
Mexico City E-Prix took a little longer than the world’s fastest man’s 9.58 seconds 100-metre world record. In fact, it took approximately four hours after the chequered flag had fallen at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit for on-the-road winner Pascal Wehrlein to be credited with victory after a post-race technical investigation.
It somewhat took the shine off a performance that by any metric was dominant and a sign of intent from the Porsche driver, who is targeting an elusive maiden Formula E title in 2024.
Wehrlein led for 30 of the 37 laps, only relinquishing the lead when taking both his Attack Mode activations on laps three and six. Even then, his time away from the front was extended only by a three-lap safety car after he’d dropped to second behind main rival Sebastien Buemi.
Wehrlein remained in control throughout a race that proved to be processional by Formula E’s standards, with energy consumption not as critical as at other venues, while the thinner air that Mexico City provides meant slipstreaming was not as powerful either. But what made Wehrlein’s performance even more impressive, and could perhaps prove pivotal in the championship battle even at this early
