"I'm just angry now!" - Formula E attack mode rules cause frustration after the Miami E-Prix

This is probably not how anyone wanted Formula E to return to Miami. Initially, the race weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway went smoothly. However, a red flag triggered by an accident involving Jake Hughes, Max Günther and Mitch Evans and, above all, the Attack Mode drama afterwards spoilt the mood for many. There was no sign of jubilation over the first Porsche victory of the season or Lola's sensational podium, instead there was a hail of criticism.

The reason was that there were only four laps to go after the standing restart. Those who had previously only activated a two-minute attack mode and therefore had to activate another six minutes of extra power had around half a minute too little time to comply with the rules and let the attack mode run out before crossing the finish line. Nevertheless, they wanted to get as far ahead as possible to compensate for the impending time penalty.

Norman Nato wins in theory, but not in practice

Pole setter Norman Nato overtook Pascal Wehrlein in the final metres and crossed the finish line in first place. However, his reaction was not jubilation, but frustrated blows to the steering wheel. During the interview in the Formula E World Feed, he realised as soon as he got out of the car that he was going to lose the race win: "I will get a penalty. Today was actually a positive day, but in the end it did not go my way. That is hard to digest."

The expected time penalty of ten seconds was then imposed after a short wait. In addition to him, Oliver Rowland, Taylor Barnard, Robin Frijns and Sam Bird were also penalised. World championship leader Rowland is also annoyed about the penalty, which also affected him: "When we crossed the finish line in fourth place, we were penalised for incorrect use of the attack mode, which meant that I finished tenth. We were unlucky."

Both McLaren drivers suffered the same fate as Nato and Rowland. The penalties meant that they both dropped out of the points, which is a poor reflection of the weekend's actually good pace. McLaren team boss Ian James denounces the impossible solution to the dilemma: "Because of the late red flag, which made it impossible to execute the activation, it resulted in a penalty for both drivers. It was impossible for us to score points."

Felix da Costa loses what he thought was a certain race win

The problems with attack mode started a little earlier for Antonio Felix da Costa. The Portuguese driver activated his six remaining minutes shortly before the red flag was waved. At this point, everything looked as if he would be able to pull away from the other drivers. There was no mistaking his frustration after the race: "I'm just angry now."

He himself describes his situation as follows: "We got beat today because we were too good. I was so good that I could have used my energy advantage to win the race. But then the safety car came out." The ex-champion in Porsche service was dejected afterwards: "You are in the factory and work on the simulator for three days, you fly here and then drive the perfect race and lose your victory like that."

Overall, however, the day went phenomenally well for Porsche. They scored 41 points in the team standings and are now top of the championship. Among the drivers, Antonio Felix da Costa is in second place and Pascal Wehrlein in third, while championship leader Oliver Rowland scored just a single point in tenth place. As a team, Felix da Costa has to admit this himself: "I am happy for the team."

For Porsche, it is a good starting position for the rest of the season. Their next chance for a good result is on 3 and 4 May, when the race weekend in Monaco is scheduled. For the first time, Formula E will be staging a double-header in the Principality.