TAG Heuer Porsche driver – and reigning world champion – Pascal Wehrlein is all set to make his 90th start in the all-electric racing series this weekend, as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship arrives in China for the double-header races at the Shanghai International Circuit.
The 30-year-old German, who made his Formula E debut with Mahindra in 2019, has so far notched up a total of 89 starts – including 72 with the factory Porsche team in a successful five-year long relationship – and he doesn’t want to relinquish his crown easily as the championship heads into its second half.
MIM-contracted Pascal is currently lying in second place on 84 points – with best results of one win, a third and a second to his name this year – but he is putting in as much racing mileage as possible in the coming weeks as he attempts to claw back the championship lead from Oliver Rowland (Nissan), on 161 points.
“In the weeks leading up to the races in Shanghai I will be doing a lot of driving,” declared Pascal. “We’re doing some simulator work and I’m taking part in the endurance programme with Porsche Penske Motorsport. I’m looking forward to it. Last season I made it onto the podium with P2 in the first race in Shanghai. I think that we should be strong there again this time.”
The electric world championship will be making its second appearance at the Shanghai International Circuit, which is a shortened, 3.05 km, 12-turn version of the Formula 1 track.
First Free Practice for the Shanghai E-Prix gets underway at 1000 on Friday morning (in Europe), followed by FP2 at 0200 on the following morning, Qualifying at 0420 and Round 10 at 0905 on Saturday morning. Sunday’s eleventh round will follow the same timetable as Saturday.
Photos: Courtesy of Porsche
