Hard-earned points for Porsche at Formula E debut in Jakarta

– Race report: Jakarta E-Prix, Race 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
– Pascal Wehrlein collects points for eighth place after a strong qualifying.
– The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team ranks fifth in the team standings.
– Second half of the season starts under extreme conditions of 33 degrees celsius and very high humidity.

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team has scored critical points in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as it heads into the second half of the season. At the wheel of the No. 94 Porsche 99X Electric, Pascal Wehrlein (GER) concluded the first Formula E event in Indonesia in eighth place. His teammate André Lotterer (GER/No. 36) took the flag in ninth place at the Jakarta International E-Prix only to have a time penalty relegate him back to 11th. Extreme weather conditions with temperatures of 33 degrees celsius and very high humidity threw tough challenges at drivers, vehicles and teams.

In the drivers’ classification of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, André Lotterer ranks seventh after 9 of 16 races with 59 points. Pascal Wehrlein is eighth with 55 points. In the team classification, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team lies in fifth place with 114 points.

Race 9
Pascal Wehrlein qualified in sixth place on the 2.37-kilometer circuit in the Ancol district near Jakarta Bay. However, due to a penalty from the Berlin event, he had to start the race in front of packed grandstands from P11. The winner from Mexico put in an impressive charge at the start and made up three positions. André Lotterer, who failed to make the Jakarta qualifying duels for the first time this season, tackled the race from eighth place and crossed the finish line in ninth. However, due to a collision with a competitor, he received a five-second penalty, which relegated him to 11th.

Comments on the Jakarta E-Prix, Race 9
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: « That was a tough day for the team under extremely challenging conditions. In qualifying, André missed out on making it into the duels for the first time by just three-thousandths of a second. Pascal, however, scored a respectable sixth place. Although the penalty meant he had to start the race from the eleventh grid spot, he got off the line well. Both managed to settle into the top 10 and advance up the order. After 25 laps, they were just five seconds off the leader. However, in the final third of the race, they lost positions after nudges with rivals. Moreover, a time penalty at the end saw André finish outside the points. At five of the seven remaining races this season, we may experience the same extreme heat as here in Jakarta so we have to work hard to come back stronger for the next races under such conditions. »

André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): « That wasn’t an easy race. My start wasn’t great but I fought my way back. I couldn’t avoid a collision and was thrown out of the points. Even in qualifying, it was difficult to turn a perfect lap in such extreme temperatures. Still, I only missed out getting into the duels by three-thousandths of a second. »

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): « At the end of the day it wasn’t that bad. My start was great and I managed to gain several positions on the first lap. But then I had two contacts with competitors and that prevented me from performing as I’d expected. More would definitely have been possible today. Now I’m hoping for a smooth weekend in Marrakesh. »

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