Pascal Wehrlein Defends Porsche’s Tactical Strategy After Dominant London Victory

Pascal Wehrlein has defended Porsche’s deployment of team tactics that secured his victory at the Saturday London E‑Prix and bolstered his pursuit of the 2025‑26 Formula E championship.

He transformed his pole position into a commanding win at the season’s penultimate round, moving from third to first place in the drivers’ championship.

Although the German driver maintained a consistently strong pace, Porsche’s strategic team orders enhanced his chances of a flawless result by maximizing point acquisition in London.

During qualifying, both Porsche’s factory driver Nico Muller and Kiro’s Dan Tickum eased their pace in the duel segments, allowing Wehrlein to secure pole position with minimal competition.

Muller subsequently supported championship challenger Mitch Evans and other competitors during the opening stint, giving Wehrlein a lead of more than two seconds while conserving energy.

Earlier on Friday, Wehrlein voiced his reservations about team tactics, expressing concern that rivals might manipulate the race to influence the championship outcome.

After Saturday’s race, when questioned about his remarks, Wehrlein referenced the 2024 Monaco E‑Prix, where Nick Cassidy reduced speed to enable teammate Evans to deploy Attack Modes without compromising track position.

“This isn’t the first occurrence,” the 31‑year‑old told Motorsport.com. “I recall Jaguar also winning a Monaco race using a similar approach.”

“Today could have resulted in a 1‑2 for the team. The timing of Nico’s pit boost was unfortunate, but we performed well; he was simply unlucky.”

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche Formula E Team

Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

When asked if he would have preferred to win without Muller’s assistance, he replied, “I don’t know; that’s not my decision.”

Even though Muller helped Wehrlein establish a substantial early lead, the victory was not assured, as Evans intensified his challenge after advancing his pit‑boost stop.

Nevertheless, a mid‑race virtual safety car ultimately determined the race outcome in Wehrlein’s favor, enabling him, title contender Jake Dennis, and several other drivers to execute a cost‑effective pitstop.

Wehrlein was the sole competitor to finish his pitstop before the caution period concluded, granting him a further advantage over drivers positioned directly behind him.

During the press conference, when asked if Saturday felt like a perfect day, he responded, “Yes, apart from the fastest lap, it was a great day.”

“The entire weekend showed strong performance in practice, with the car consistently in the top two or three. Qualifying was flawless, securing both cars on the front row, and the race unfolded according to plan.”
  

Wehrlein aims to become Formula E’s first double champion since Jean‑Eric Vergne, entering Sunday’s finale with a five‑point lead over Dennis and a 16‑point gap separating him from Evans in third place.

“Our plan is to win the race again,” the Porsche driver said. “First, I must secure a front‑row position in qualifying, and the ultimate goal is victory. If we cannot win, we will adapt our calculations as needed, but winning remains the primary objective.”
  

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