Despite missing out on the podium in Shanghai, Wehrlein takes the lead in the Formula E Drivers’ Championship

Pascal Wehrlein has taken the lead in the Formula E World Championship following Sunday’s Shanghai E-Prix. Fourth place was enough for the Porsche driver after his rival Mitch Evans was unable to start at all due to technical problems.

The race weekend in Shanghai proved extremely successful for Pascal Wehrlein. Following his victory on Saturday, the Porsche driver took the lead in the Drivers’ World Championship on Sunday with a fourth-place finish. The German thus replaced Mitch Evans at the top of the standings; the New Zealander was unable to start due to technical problems and therefore had no chance of defending his lead.

Wehrlein had secured a promising starting position for Sunday’s race: he started from third on the grid and was initially able to hold that position. Together with his team-mate Nico Müller, he battled at the front of the field and led the race for a long time, whilst Müller covered his back.

Tyre strategy & a full-course yellow threw a spanner in the works

However, as the Porsche driver reports, they had expected wetter conditions throughout the entire race: "It started off wet, and we’re quick in those conditions," said Wehrlein after the race. "At the same time, the track dried out so quickly that other cars, which had opted for a dry set-up, simply pulled away in the end, so I couldn’t defend myself against them."

The full-course yellow, triggered by Zane Maloney, also came at an inopportune moment for him: other drivers had activated Attack Mode before him and were subsequently able to overtake him. When he did the same, the yellow flag was brought out; as a result, he lost around 2 minutes 30 seconds of his Attack Mode. The clock was ticking down and he was unable to catch up with any of his rivals. At that point, he was in fourth place, where he also finished the race.

With the twelve points he scored on Sunday, Pascal Wehrlein took the lead in the World Championship after the race in Shanghai. Together with the pole position and the victory from the previous day, the German scored 40 points in Shanghai: "I would have signed up for these 40 points straight away beforehand. On the other hand, though, I felt that I actually deserved another first place today," said Wehrlein, his eyes full of joy and, at the same time, disappointment.

The battle to further extend his lead continues in three weeks’ time. On 25 and 26 July, the double-header in Tokyo is on the Formula E calendar.