Race 10
Taking up the race from the tenth grid spot, André Lotterer (GER) drove a solid race through the streets of Brooklyn. He managed to make up two positions and thus earned points for the first time since Valencia. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/#99), who had crossed the finish line first in Puebla, once again secured a commendable grid spot for the New York City E-Prix. Putting in a strong drive, he once again qualified for Super Pole and lined up for the race on the third grid row in sixth place. After a promising first third of the race, he ran into the back of a competitor after selecting attack mode for the second time and had to retire.
Comments on the New York City E-Prix, Race 10
Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E: “Like in Mexico, we again showed our potential here in New York City. Pascal did a mega job coming from the second quali group and made it through to Super Pole. In the race, he took the second attack mode, which means he could brake a bit later, his front tyres locked and he went into the back of another car. Unfortunately, suspension damage signalled the end of his race. It’s a shame because he could definitely have been among the top contenders. Like Pascal, André had to start on the dirty side of the track. Still, he drove a solid and efficient race and brought home points. We’ll be back in the fight tomorrow. Credit must be given to the team for handling the battery temperatures so well. They did a great job in doing this in such hot conditions with no noticeable performance offset.”
André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): “I finished in the points and I’m satisfied with that result. I had a good race and I made the most of my options. Our car handled well on the challenging track and I think we can do better tomorrow.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#99): “I’m disappointed. It was clearly my mistake. I activated attack mode for the second time, braked later than the car in front of me, the brakes suddenly locked up and I couldn’t swerve in time. Luckily we have another chance tomorrow, which we’ll hopefully make better use of.”
Porsche in Formula E
The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team contests its second Formula E season in 2021 with the Porsche 99X Electric. André Lotterer celebrated a successful racing debut in November 2019, finishing second at the season-opening race in Diriyah after meticulous preparation: a dream start and proof that Porsche had a competitive vehicle right from the outset with the Porsche 99X Electric. This was impressively underlined by the first pole position in Mexico City and another second place on home turf in Berlin. Formula E is the world’s first fully-electric street racing series and, as an accelerator for innovative and sustainable mobility technologies, it has brought thrilling motorsport to people living in major cities since 2014. This season, in which a driver and team world champion will be crowned for the first time, more automobile manufacturers compete than in any other racing series. As such, the races are fascinating and fiercely contested.
The Big Apple shines a spotlight on electromobility and sustainability: Before the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team makes its debut in New York City, two fully electric Porsche cars – a 99X Electric racer and a Taycan 4S – turned heads at a spectacular photoshoot in the world-famous Times Square. This weekend, rounds 10 and 11 of this season’s ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will be contested in the streets of Brooklyn. As the world’s first electric racing series, Formula E has brought gripping motor racing to fascinating metropolises such as New York City. From Porsche’s perspective, it is the most competitive arena in which to advance the development of high-performance vehicles with a focus on environmental friendliness, energy efficiency and sustainability.
The Porsche 99X Electric, which has been fielded in Formula E since 2019, also serves the Porsche engineers as a development platform for the sports car manufacturer’s electric production models. The vehicle’s 800-volt technology can also be found in the Taycan, Porsche’s first fully-electric production sports car, of which a prototype was unveiled to the world public in New York City in 2019.
In New York City, electromobility and sustainability are not the only key factors on this Formula E weekend. With more than 1,750 electric cars, the city boasts the country’s largest fleet of electric vehicles. This figure is planned to grow to 2,000 by the end of 2025. The metropolis is well on its way to achieving the goal of 10,000 publicly accessible charging stations by the end of 2021. The city’s fleet of school buses is to be fully electric by 2035. And the people are completely behind this initiative: New Yorkers already consume less energy per capita than residents of any other state – except Rhode Island.
Formula E races will be contested on Saturday and Sunday on the Red Hook Circuit around the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, with Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop. Each race is contested over 45 minutes plus one lap – roughly the same time it takes to charge a Porsche Taycan twice from 5 to 80 per cent on the DC charger (350 kW).
The preview: Q&A on the New York City E-Prix
The skyscrapers of Manhattan form the breathtaking backdrop for the guest appearance of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in New York City. Races 10 and 11 of the world’s first electric racing series will be contested in the streets of Brooklyn on 10 and 11 July. At another season highlight in the Big Apple, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team fields two Porsche 99X Electric for Pascal Wehrlein (GER/No. 99) and André Lotterer (GER/No. 36). In the USA, the squad from Weissach aims to achieve the victory that was so tantalisingly close in Mexico: Pascal Wehrlein was first across the line in Puebla, only to have a disqualification rob him of the deserved rewards for his inspired drive.
Now, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is eager to turn this disappointment into positive energy at the New York City E-Prix. “We’ll be particularly motivated when we line up for the race through the streets of New York and even stronger than in Puebla,” says Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E. “We’re perfectly prepared for the event and we want to finally score our first victory.”
Amiel Lindesay (Head of Operations Formula E)
The team delivered its best performance so far in Mexico, only to go home empty-handed. How do you all cope with that?
“We left Puebla with the knowledge that we can lead a race from start to finish and win it. This gives us a great deal of positive energy and even more motivation to remain on this steady course together. After setting pole position for race 8, we not only underlined that we can stay at the front, but that we’re efficient as well.”
The New York City E-Prix is again new territory for you. What expectations do you have as you head to New York?
“Yes, the New York City E-Prix is new for the team, but André and Pascal have actually raced there before. Their experiences play a key role in our preparations. Although the track is new for us, we’re very confident that we’ll pick up in the US where we left off in Mexico.”
André Lotterer (Porsche works driver, #36)
What are you taking from Puebla to New York, how are you feeling and what are your expectations?
“It’s a great location and a great track – so I’m very excited for New York. Puebla wasn’t an easy weekend for me. I struggled in race 8 without really knowing what was going on. I was going well in race 9 until I picked up the advertising banner. We certainly collected a lot of data, we looked at what we did right and what wasn’t good. We then implemented what we learned to prepare for New York. I’m confident that things will be better again for me there. The team supports me and is incredibly focussed. At some point, it simply has to work.”
Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche works driver, #99)
After your strong performance in Puebla, where would you be in the rankings without the disqualification in the first race and the time penalty in the second race?
“At the top. We all did a super job in Puebla and we deserved that first victory. But no matter how big the disappointment was at first, we have to keep working hard and try to make the most of the next opportunities. We’ve taken a good look at what happened in Puebla but now we’re focussing on New York. We’ll do everything to again get the best out of ourselves and our package. If we manage this, we’ll definitely be as strong as we were in Puebla. The racetrack is new turf for the team but I’ve already competed there. It’s a typical city circuit, very narrow with walls on either side of you. I love such Formula E racetracks.”
The racetrack
Twenty-four drivers will again battle for prestigious victories on a typical Formula E circuit at the New York City E-Prix. The 2.320-kilometre Red Hook Circuit around the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with a view to Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty is lined with walls that are unforgiving of the slightest mistake. The course’s 14 corners range from a hairpin (turn 10) over a chicane (turn 6) to the high-speed kink (turn 14) leading onto the start-finish straight which competitors tackle at around 140 km/h. The weather can play a key role: from 35 degrees Celsius to torrential rain, anything is possible at this time of year. “In New York, we’re finally returning to the real city circuit feeling,” says André Lotterer with a smile. “The racetrack is bit bumpy so you need a good chassis. It should suit our car.” Pascal Wehrlein adds: “It’ll be important to start from the front of the grid and make it through the first lap safely because the course is very narrow in places.”
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