Porsche’s Wehrlein lands last lap win in Misano Formula E thriller
Porsche bounced back in style in Sunday’s second round of Formula E racing at Misano, with Pascal Wehrlein snatching a dramatic last-lap victory from Nissan’s Oliver Rowland.
Reigning champion Jake Dennis secured second place for Andretti, while Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy completed the podium with a daring move on the final corner.
Wehrlein displayed strategic brilliance, opting to conserve energy by following early leaders like polesitter Jake Hughes and Jean-Eric Vergne in the initial stages.
While Nissan's Rowland surged ahead for the lead on Lap 20, Wehrlein held a significant energy advantage, seemingly poised for victory.
However, a twist emerged on the final lap. Porsche informed Wehrlein that his powertrain was derating due to heat, potentially jeopardizing his challenge.
Rowland, seemingly unaware of his rival’s predicament, pressed on, but a technical glitch miscalculated his remaining usable energy. His Nissan sputtered to a halt halfway through the final lap, mere seconds from the finish line.
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This unexpected turn of events gifted Porsche a crucial win, erasing the disappointment of race winner and teammate Antonio Felix da Costa’s disqualification after Saturday’s round.
Dennis capitalized on the chaos, climbing from ninth to second at the flag for Andretti, while a final-corner lunge by Cassidy secured the final podium position for Jaguar TCS Racing, much to the disappointment of ABT CUPRA's Nico Mueller who finished a fourth.
©FormulaE
Mueller had briefly led the race earlier, marking only his third time in the lead throughout his Formula E career.
Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz brought his car home in fifth, while Sergio Sette Camara continued his impressive run with a sixth-place finish for ERT, building on teammate Dan Ticktum's fifth place from the previous race.
DS Penske’s Jean-Eric Vergne followed in seventh, while polesitter Hughes fell back to eighth after a racing incident.
Maximilian Guenther extended his perfect points-scoring streak for Maserati MSG Racing on home soil, finishing ninth.
His teammate, Jehan Daruvala, also managed to score his first Formula E points with a tenth-place finish, marking the first time an Indian driver has earned points since Karun Chandhok in 2014.
This dramatic victory puts Wehrlein level with Dennis at the top of the driver's standings on 89 points, pushing previous leader Rowland down to third. Jaguar TCS Racing maintains their lead in the Teams' Championship, holding a 16-point advantage over Andretti.
The high-voltage action continues as Formula E gears up for Round 8 on the legendary streets of Monte Carlo, Monaco on April 27th.
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