Formula E

Formula E: Pascal Wehrlein takes Sunday victory & world championship lead in thrilling Misano E-Prix

Timo Pape

Timo Pape

Paddy McGrath / Spacesuit Media

Pascal Wehrlein won Sunday's Formula E race in Misano. The Porsche driver beat Oliver Rowland (Nissan), who rolled out without power, shortly before the end, taking over the championship lead from the Briton. Second place went to Jake Dennis in the Andretti. In a photo finish, Nick Cassidy (Jaguar) snatched third place from ABT driver Nico Müller. Envision experienced a debacle race.

Pole-sitter Jake Hughes missed the perfect moment at the start, but was still able to defend the lead against Jean-Eric Vergne. The first lap of the race went off without any notable contacts or incidents. Compared to the previous day, there were relatively few overtaking manoeuvres in the early stages. After three laps, Hughes led ahead of Vergne, Nick Cassidy, Sam Bird, Pascal Wehrlein, Nico Müller and Max Günther. Numerous drivers then took their first of two attack modes, including the leading duo.

On lap 4, the lead changed hands for the first time - Vergne now in front. A little later, Wehrlein took the lead until he also drove through the attack zone. Cassidy was first ahead of Müller. Lap 7 saw the first accident. At the centre of it: Robin Frijns. The Envision driver got caught in the "sandwich" between the cars of Sam Bird and Antonio Felix da Costa in a right-hand bend and made contact with the front of the Porsche. He damaged his front wing, slid straight into the gravel and came to a halt. Race control had to send the safety car onto the track.

Front wing damage for Felix da Costa & Nato

After a brief interruption, the race continued. In the leading group - consisting of Cassidy, Hughes, Wehrlein, Müller and Oliver Rowland - the positions changed frequently. Then came the next piece of bad news for Porsche: Felix da Costa damaged the right side of his front wing in a collision with Bird, causing it to drag on the wheel and forcing him to make a pit stop. An almost identical fate befell Norman Nato a little later, who crashed into Vergne's DS. The customer Porsche also dropped to the back of the field and had to pit.

While Stoffel Vandoorne also had to head for the garage, the previous day's winner Rowland took the lead at the Misano E-Prix. Behind him towards the middle of the race: Wehrlein, Jake Dennis and Müller. Bird had a small excursion into the gravel and the second McLaren of Hughes also lost a few positions after coming out of the corner badly in a duel.

After Frijns had already retired early, team-mate Sebastien Buemi was also involved in an accident and damaged the front end. He pitted and retired - a double retirement for the world champion team Envision Racing! Mitch Evans also stopped on the track and brought out the yellow flags. He was able to continue a little later under his own steam. Nevertheless, the Jaguar driver also dropped to the back of the field.

Cassidy saves energy, Müller keeps up

Meanwhile, Wehrlein and Rowland pulled away at the front and battled it out for the lead. Bird spun again - this time due to a driving error of his own. On lap 21 of 26, Rowland once again took the lead after the championship leader had been able to save energy behind Wehrlein for a few laps. Nevertheless, the Briton had consumed two per cent more energy than Wehrlein at this point - so the cards were in the German's favour. In addition, Cassidy - in sixth place at the time - had saved up a large energy advantage.

Dennis continued in third place ahead of Müller, who remained in the leading group in his ABT Cupra. Meanwhile, his team-mate Lucas di Grassi received a 5-second time penalty for causing a collision in the opinion of race control. Müller put pressure on Dennis, Hughes drove straight ahead in the chicane. Then it was onto the final lap of the race.

Drama for Rowland

Then the shock for Nissan: The leader - Rowland - rolled out without power! Wehrlein thus took the lead. The German was not to be denied victory and went on to win! Behind him, things got really exciting again: in a sprint over the last few metres, Cassidy out-accelerated Müller and came within a whisker of taking third place on the podium behind Dennis, who finished second! Huge disappointment in the ABT garage, but still an outstanding result for the team from Kempten.

Pascal Wehrlein has taken the lead in the overall Formula E standings. Jake Dennis is now second ahead of Oliver Rowland. He is followed by Nick Cassidy and Max Günther. Among the teams, Jaguar continues to lead the table. They are followed by Andretti, Porsche and Nissan. The next Formula E race will take place in a fortnight' time: On 27 April, the electric series takes to the grid for the classic race in Monaco.

Results & lap times

Championship standings (drivers & teams)

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