At the Hyderabad E-Prix, Porsche produced a solid team effort: António Félix da Costa finished third after a hard-fought race in the Porsche 99X Electric. This was his first podium finish of the year and his first as a Porsche Works driver. In fourth place, his teammate Pascal Wehrlein won the inaugural Formula E race in India. With this outcome, he increased his lead in the drivers' standings, and for the first time, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team rose to the top of the team classification table.
Race 4
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship's debut in the capital of the Telangana state in southern India was an excellent promotion for totally electric racing. The 22 drivers gave spectators thrilling positional fights and breathtaking overtaking maneuvers on the 2.816-kilometer street track at Hussain Sagar Lake. Both of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team's Porsche 99X Electric cars finished in the top four after 33 laps.
Pascal Wehrlein, the winner of both races at Diriyah, is currently in first place in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship drivers' standings with 80 points after four of the competition's 16 races. With 21 points, António Félix da Costa has climbed the rankings to ninth place. With 101 points, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team has taken the lead in the team standings. André Lotterer (GER), who was operating for the Porsche customer team Avalanche Andretti, finished in ninth place. After colliding, his colleague Jake Dennis (GBR), who entered the competition in second place overall in the world championship, finished in P16. António Félix da Costa started the first lap of his 100th Formula E race from position 13, gained ground, and by the halfway point had reached the leading group. He moved up the rankings to capture the checkered flag in fourth place as a result of a cunning race strategy and his faultless driving. He did, however, take over third place on the podium after a competitor in front was given a time penalty. This is his greatest performance of the season thus far. Pascal Wehrlein, his colleague and the driver's standings leader, came from P12 to take fourth and increase his advantage to 18 points.
Comments on the Hyderabad E-Prix, Race 4
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “The team put in a very strong performance today. António secured his first podium for the team, which I’m very pleased about. After his accident in free practice, Pascal fought his way up to fourth place in the race and increased his lead in the world championship. This is also thanks to the team who worked through the night to get his car back on the track for the race. Finishing the race in third and fourth place after a less than satisfactory qualifying is a strong effort that makes me proud. I want to thank the entire team. The fact that we’ve moved into the lead of the world championship is a fantastic reward.”
António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): “That was a typical Formula E race – exciting to the finish. I got off to a good start but lost a few positions in the pack. We kept our cool and our attack mode worked perfectly. Starting from P13 and finishing third is a terrific result – especially at my 100th Formula E race. I’m supported by a great team. We’ve worked hard and progressed from race to race. We’ll continue on this path.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94): “I started the race from the twelfth grid spot and earned points for fourth place – I’m very happy with that. After my accident during free practice, I was sent to hospital in the late evening because my back was very painful. It was still sore today but otherwise, everything is fine. I’m pleased for António. He was able to demonstrate how good he is. The fact that we missed out on an entire practice session as a result of the accident was noticeable. Some small details on the car weren’t quite right. Still, all in all it was a great day.”
