Hyderabad: The premiere of ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in the capital of the southern Indian state of Telangana was an outstanding advertisement for fully electric racing. On the 2.816-kilometre street circuit at the shores of the Hussain Sagar Lake, the 22 drivers treated fans to gripping battles for positions and spectacular overtaking manoeuvres. After 33 laps, both Porsche 99X Electric fielded by the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team finished in the top four.
In the drivers’ standings of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Pascal Wehrlein, the winner of both races at Diriyah, leads the drivers’ standings with 80 points after four of 16 races. António Félix da Costa has moved up the rankings to ninth place with 21 points. The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is the new leader of the team classification with 101 points. Driving for the Porsche customer squad Avalanche Andretti, André Lotterer (GER) crossed the finish line in ninth place. His teammate Jake Dennis (GBR), who travelled to India ranking second in the world championship, concluded the event in P16 after a collision.
Race 4
Starting his 100th Formula E race from P13, António Félix da Costa made up positions in the first lap and by mid-race, had joined the frontrunning pack. Thanks to a clever race strategy and his flawless drive, he progressed up the order to take the flag in fourth place. However, a time penalty handed to a rival in front saw him inherit third place on the podium. So far, this is his best result of the season. His teammate and championship leader, Pascal Wehrlein, came from P12 to finish fourth and extend his lead in the drivers’ standings to 18 points.
Comments on the Hyderabad E-Prix, Race 4
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “The team put in a very strong performance today. António secured his first podium for the team, which I’m very pleased about. After his accident in free practice, Pascal fought his way up to fourth place in the race and increased his lead in the world championship. This is also thanks to the team who worked through the night to get his car back on the track for the race. Finishing the race in third and fourth place after a less than satisfactory qualifying is a strong effort that makes me proud. I want to thank the entire team. The fact that we’ve moved into the lead of the world championship is a fantastic reward.”
António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): “That was a typical Formula E race – exciting to the finish. I got off to a good start but lost a few positions in the pack. We kept our cool and our attack mode worked perfectly. Starting from P13 and finishing third is a terrific result – especially at my 100th Formula E race. I’m supported by a great team. We’ve worked hard and progressed from race to race. We’ll continue on this path.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “I started the race from the twelfth grid spot and earned points for fourth place – I’m very happy with that. After my accident during free practice, I was sent to hospital in the late evening because my back was very painful. It was still sore today but otherwise, everything is fine. I’m pleased for António. He was able to demonstrate how good he is. The fact that we missed out on an entire practice session as a result of the accident was noticeable. Some small details on the car weren’t quite right. Still, all in all it was a great day.”
Next up
The next race for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is on 25 February with the Cape Town E-Prix – race 5 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. This is the first Formula E race in South Africa.’
Porsche in Formula E
In 2023, the squad contests its fourth season in the world’s first all-electric racing series with the new Porsche 99X Electric Gen3. Avalanche Andretti fields two Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 as the first Porsche customer team in Formula E. As an accelerator for innovative and sustainable mobility technologies, Formula E has brought thrilling motorsport to people living in major cities since 2014. With the all-electric Taycan Turbo S, Porsche again supplies the official safety car, and thus underlines the importance of Formula E for Porsche Motorsport.
