– Race report: Portland E-Prix, Round 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
– António Félix da Costa (POR) finishes third in the Porsche 99X Electric and earns critical points for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team.
– Pascal Wehrlein (GER) leaves Portland as third in the drivers’ classification.
– Races 13 and 14 will be held in Rome on 15 and 16 July.
António Félix da Costa made a strong comeback at the Portland E-Prix: At the wheel of his Porsche 99X Electric, he secured third place in the inaugural Formula E race in America’s Northwest. The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team has defended its lead in the teams’ classification of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Cape Town winner António Félix da Costa returned with a vengeance at the Portland International Raceway and climbed the podium for the third time this season. After travelling to the US state of Oregon as the leader of the drivers’ classification, Pascal Wehrlein made it into the points with eighth place. At the home race of the American Porsche customer team Avalanche Andretti, Jake Dennis (GBR) clinched second place with the Porsche 99X Electric. Watched by team owner and US motorsport legend Michael Andretti, André Lotterer (GER) finished in P19.
In the teams’ classification of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team leads after twelve of 16 races with 231 points, followed by Envision Racing (225), Jaguar (184) and Avalanche Andretti (177). Pascal Wehrlein ranks third in the drivers’ championship with 138 points behind the new leader Jake Dennis (154) and Nick Cassidy (NZL/153). António Félix da Costa (93) ranks sixth with André Lotterer (23) in P15.
Race 12
In the qualifying session on the 3.19-kilometre Indy Car circuit, António Félix da Costa made it into the duels with his Porsche 99X Electric and started the race from P7. Right from the outset, he battled his way up the order and reached second place after five of 32 laps. On lap 22, he swept into the lead for the first time. Putting in a spirited drive, he fought among the leading pack until the end and ultimately took the flag in third place. Tackling the race from P18, Pascal Wehrlein scored important points for himself and his team with eighth place after numerous overtaking moves.
Comments on the Portland E-Prix, Race 12
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “That was a very challenging and strategic race that ended with a podium finish for António. Our qualifying wasn’t ideal. Pascal, however, worked his way up the field admirably but was repeatedly caught up in incidents that resulted in him losing ground. Had this not happened, it might have been enough for a top 6 result. Antonio’s race was great. He stayed among the frontrunners and sometimes led the field. We’re pleased with his podium result. In Rome, we now have to make sure that we close the gap in the drivers’ standings.”
António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): « I’m thrilled with the podium. It was a great race with a great result. We fought hard but we possibly took the lead a little too early. As a result, it became a bit tight with the energy at the end. Still, we know what we have to improve on for the last four races of the season. We’ll continue to do our utmost to secure the title for Pascal and the team. »
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): « That was a very strange race – so chaotic with so many cars wheel-to-wheel – we’ve never experienced that before this season. Everything was very close, especially in the second half of the race, and I kept losing places. I could definitely have done more today but being so far off in qualifying makes the race difficult. »
Viktoria Wohlrapp,