Formula E Porsche André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein : « We’ll do everything to be successful »

Porsche’s second season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship proved to be a huge challenge for André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein. They achieved successes with the Porsche 99X Electric and contributed significantly to the further development of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. In the latest ‘Inside E’ podcast, they talk about their successes and setbacks during season 7 as well as the fierce competition in the world’s first electric racing series and how they are determined to claim the first victory for Porsche in season 8.

« Pascal has the talent and the speed. With such a strong teammate, you learn how to get everything out of your car faster. » André Lotterer is full of praise when he talks about Pascal Wehrlein. In their first season together with the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, they quickly built a relationship based on mutual trust. On racing weekends, there is not a lot of time to figure stuff out, says Lotterer, which makes an open dialogue all the more important. Wehrlein also emphasises how important it is to support each other and to help the team make headway together. He has not always experienced a teammate as an ally rather than a rival: « There are racing series where the main priority is to beat your teammate. »

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team headed into its second season with the intention of winning races. The fact that not all expectations were met comes as no surprise to André Lotterer. « In the first season you usually familiarise yourself with the tracks and gain experience so that you can tackle the second season well prepared. But it was exactly these experiences that were missing because the pandemic threw a spanner in the works of our rookie season and we contested more than half of all races in Berlin. » The season for Pascal Wehrlein was positive. « The team made huge progress. We underlined that we can drive at the front and that we can win races on a good day. »

What mainly set Formula E apart this season was the intense rivalry and level of competition the likes of which André Lotterer has never experienced. « I don’t think 18 drivers have ever travelled to a season finale of a world championship with a chance to secure the title, » he states. While it proved challenging to always run with the leading pack, it also underlined just how electrifying the racing was. « Formula E has developed really well and it offers fans a fantastic show. »

When Lotterer and his team start preparing for season 8, full attention will turn to « finding the last hundredth of a second. To do this, we’ll leave no stone unturned. » Pascal Wehrlein can hardly wait to go racing again. « I believe the break doesn’t need to be that long, » he says, and promises: « We’ll do everything to be successful. »

The Porsche Formula E podcast is published in English and can be downloaded from the Porsche Newsroom. ‘Inside E’ is also available on other platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Viktoria Wohlrapp,

PUBLICITÉ