oliver roland He became the second different Formula E winner in as many races after taking an unexpected victory in the closing stages of the Mexico City E-Prix.
But while the Briton’s ability to overtake gave him victory, it was the excellent performance of the Porsche drivers that gave him victory Antonio Felix Da Costa And Pascal Wehrlein It was an ominous warning sign to its rivals.
After another exciting race in the 2024-25 season, here are five things we learned from the Mexico City E-Prix:
1. Porsche’s impressive pace despite lack of wins is a warning to rivals
Porsche didn’t win in Mexico, but had dominance and could face some losses in the coming season
Photo by: Alastair Staley/Motorsport Images
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit in Mexico City has been a pleasant hunting ground for Porsche. Pascal Wehrlein claimed his and the German manufacturer’s first Formula E victory at the venue in 2022, following another major victory 12 months earlier.
Reigning champion Wehrlein underlined the dominance of the new Gen 3 Evo package by claiming back-to-back pole positions this season, his top finish last weekend at the wheel of the newly built chassis following his spectacular shunt in Sao Paulo.
It marked the first time a driver took four Formula E pole positions at the same venue, while teammate Antonio Félix da Costa ensured Porsche claimed the first ever Formula E front-row lockout.
The pair dominated the race, leading 26 of the 36 laps between them, and later Safety car puts them on the backfoot against Attack Mode-powered Roland They probably had the top two spots secured.
I thought today we have 1-2 for the team and then there’s that safety car, I still have to go back and look at it,” da Costa said. “Whether Oliver might have had enough strength to get back to the front or not, I guess we’ll never know, but it ruined our party a bit.”
Despite not yet recording a win, a second runner-up finish in two races means da Costa leads the drivers’ standings for the first time since his title-winning season in 2019–20, 12 points ahead of Rolland and mitch evans While Porsche already leads the teams’ table by 31 points mclaren,
Based on current form, a victory for Porsche seems inevitable and given that da Costa had a winning streak of four out of five races last season, there is every possibility that such a feat can be achieved in the remaining 14 races. There will be repetitions, all of which will have other things teams are rightly concerned about.
2. Roland proves to be a real threat after impressive win
Roland showed that he will take any opportunity to win and should be a factor to be considered this season
Photo by: Andreas Biel
“I think I would have got back to them (the top three), but I think if I had passed them (with Attack Mode) I would have been too fed up and struggling to maintain the lead. It would have been, this is my inner feeling.”
Whether or not Rowland, even with the full six-minute attack mode, would have had enough time to hold off the leading trio ahead of him for several seconds, overtake and then hold on for victory in Mexico remains debated.
But what is not in doubt is how ruthless the Briton was in his quest for victory after sniffing out a late safety car, which was immediately withdrawn and meant Rowland had his way with power to spare. There was essentially one lap to start the attack.
send jake Dennis Launching on the inside of an unexpected Wehrlein at Turn 5 immediately after the restart, then going wheel-to-wheel with da Costa and taking the lead with just a few seconds of his spare power remaining, Rowland was at his best. Displayed.
It also served as a reminder to the rest of the grid that, while the Roland/Nissan combination was an outside bet for the championship last season, in the Gen3 Evo era they are an even more potent threat this campaign.
but for a technical violation A win in Sao Paulo could also be in Roland’s favour, and with the two previous champions Dennis and Wehrlein having won in Mexico on the way to their title successes, Roland could prove to be the biggest thorn in the side for Porsche this season.
3. Jaguar had to face a tough battle due to lagging behind
Cassidy again did not score any points, but he says the Jaguars have reason to be optimistic in the second half of the season
Photo by: Oscar Lumley – Motorsport Images
Reigning teams’ champion Jaguar faced a tough competition in Mexico City, as it failed to score any points and looked to be on the back foot compared to Porsche and Nissan, lacking the efficiency and pace of its rivals. .
Sao Paulo winner Evans admitted the British manufacturer “definitely has some work to do”, with the Kiwi unable to keep pace with the leading runners during the race and finishing fifth.
Any hopes of a significant points finish ended with just five laps remaining, when Evans broke his suspension in a collision with Nico Muller as the Andretti driver suffered a momentary loss of front power.
The weekend was even worse for teammates nick cassidy Which has now failed to score in either of the first two races. He was forced to start from the back of the grid after his qualifying time was stripped due to a throttle pedal map violation, unable to make any significant progress through the field as Evans had done in the season-opener. The previous year’s title challenger was ultimately classified only in 12th place.
“I think we’re a little behind where we wanted to be with this car,” Cassidy said. “We’ve got some really good, exciting things in the pipeline, where I think we’ll have to wait until after the break in Jeddah (in the next round) to see how things like that go. I’m probably more optimistic for the second half of the season than I am right now.
4. McLaren’s forgettable weekend shows the brutal nature of Formula E
Post-race penalty for Barnard ends a tough weekend for McLaren, with no points
Photo by: Alastair Staley/Motorsport Images
Entering the Mexico City E-Prix, McLaren held the top spot in the teams’ standings. taylor barnard São Paulo podium – Youngest driver ever to appear on an FE podium – and fourth place Sam Bird But Papaya Machines left the second round of the season pointless, showing how fortunes can change from one round to the next in the all-electric championship.
Bird was left saddened by Nick de Vries He was denied a place in the doubles due to a block by the Mahindra driver in qualifying as the Dutchman was given a three-place grid penalty. The pair found themselves together again in the race, with De Vries bouncing off the inside of Bird in the double-right of Turn 5 early in the race with the Briton then making contact and puncturing the other Mahindra. Edoardo Mortara Ahead.
“I feel like it, no offense, but Nike ruined the weekend, whether it intended to or not,” said Bird, who was given a five-second penalty for contact with Mortara. And was ultimately placed 18th.
Incorrect tire pressures on a damp but drying track in qualifying ensured Barnard started only 19th, but the Briton was able to climb to 10th before the checkered flag after completing his full allocation of attack mode on time.
“I had to brake just before the line to make it, so it was very close. The team was counting me out, but I saw it and I knew,” Barnard said.
However, it was all in vain, as the 20-year-old was given a five-second penalty after the race for “leaving the track and gaining permanent advantage”, dropping him to 14th, while the McLaren dropped to second. The standings on a weekend to forget.
5. Mexico City track and fans available again
Mexico has taken its place as a favorite of both fans and drivers
Photo by: Andreas Biel
Using an abbreviated layout compared to Formula 1’s full configuration, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has nevertheless become a favorite on the Formula E calendar for drivers, teams and fans – with the ninth edition of the race due in 2025.
Not only capable of providing spectacular racing, with a mix of high and low speed corners, the track’s unique stadium section also creates a carnival atmosphere not seen anywhere else on the schedule.
This year’s event once again sold out, with over 40,000 fans in attendance, a large number of whom remained diligently behind the garage in hopes of getting a photo or autograph with their favorite drivers.
I wish it was a double-header, I’ve been asking for it for the last few years,” Wehrlein said after his podium finish. “I love coming here because of all the fans, I feel like they are the best fans we have on our racing calendar.
“So enthusiastic, they love motorsport, they love racing, they love us drivers, so many gifts and goodies, I just enjoy being here.”
It’s no surprise that defending champion Wehrlein is the favorite after his latest strong performance on the Mexico City circuit track
Photo by: Joe Portlock / Motorsport Images
in this article
stephen maclay
formula e
Sam Bird
Antonio Felix Da Costa
Pascal Wehrlein
nick cassidy
oliver roland
taylor barnard
mclaren
Nissan Motorsport
porsche team
jaguar racing
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