DIRIYAH, Saudi Arabia — Pascal Wehrlein stormed from ninth to win the first of two races in the CORE Diriyah E-Prix, with point leader Jake Dennis following home in second after starting 11th.
Driving for the TAG heuer Porsche Formula E team, Wehrlein looked the quickest on the track as he picked his way through the points-paying positions to the front of the pack. The move for the lead came on lap 30 at turn 16, with Sam Bird unable to hold back Wehrlein’s No. 99X Electric Gen3.
Both driver and car looked dominant for a second straight race. It was an emotional win for the 28-year-old, who once again credited his team with a monumental amount of work off-track to get things so right on it.
Meanwhile, Dennis in the Porsche-powered Avalanche Andretti took the fight all the way to the line with his factory Porsche counterpart from all the way back in 11th on the grid, but he couldn’t find a way beyond Wehrlein — who sealed his second Formula E win on his 50th start. The result was a reversal of the one-two that occurred two weeks ago in the Hankook Mexico City E-Prix.
Bird was overjoyed to make the podium for the first time since winning in New York City in Season 7 — calling it a “mini victory” for himself and Jaguar after a tough Season 8 for the Brit, which was the only season he has failed to claim Formula E silverware.
Sébastian Buemi started in Julius Baer Pole Position and finished in fourth, his best finish since the Season 6 finale in Berlin.
NEOM McLaren Formula E Team’s René Rast started fifth and ended fifth following a long battle in middle of the points-paying positions.
Nick Cassidy made it two Envision Racing cars in the top six. Jean-Éric Vergne fought from 12th to the points for DS PENSKE, winding up just ahead of Jake Hughes in the sister McLaren. André Lotterer and Mitch Evans rounded out the top 10 — the latter slipping from sixth on the grid.
That leaves Dennis as standings leader at just a point over Werhlein — 44 to 43 points — while Avalanche Andretti retain their team’s advantage over TAG Heuer Porsche, 58 to 49 points, with Envision Racing third.