A couple of months on since the Formula E 2023-24 Season 10 Championship came to a close, who else is just sitting thinking about what a whirlwind it all was? Well, Season 11 starts today, so let’s have a look back at the races that concluded with Pascal Wehrlein a Formula E World Champion. 

Round 1: Mexico City

The season started on the 13th of January in Mexico City with Pascal Wehrlein starting from Pole Position. Without a surprise, the yellow flag was out in the first couple of laps as Lucas Di Grassi headed off-track while his ABT Cupra teammate Nico Müller found the wall with a helping hand from Antonio Felix Da Costa. Cautions breed cautions. Robin Frijns found the wall not long after the track went back green. As the race came to a close, Pascal Wherlein took first from Sebastian Buemi and Nick Cassidy.

Round 2 and 3: Diriyah

Thirteen days later, Formula E landed in Saudi Arabia at Diriyah for Rounds 2 and 3 under the lights. The first race of the weekend saw Jean-Éric Vergne start from Pole Position but it was not plain sailing for the Frenchman with Mitch Evans on his back. On Lap 8, Dennis took his second Attack Mode and drove off into the distance, leaving the chaos behind. However, Evans attempted to snatch the lead from Dennis on Lap 14 but went wide, which left JEV behind ready to attack.

The final lap approached with Evans making a move on JEV by taking the inside line however, after going wide many times within the race, his tyres gave in leaving JEV in second place with Nick Cassidy in third, Sam Bird in fourth and Dennis approaching the finish line in first.

After the previous day lingering in everyone’s mind, Oliver Rowland started on Pole Position. It was a hectic first lap, with the top three taking the first corner together which left Robin Frijns taking the lead. Frijns then took his first attack mode on Lap 5 with Cassidy closely behind, taking the lead off of him. A couple of laps later, Cassidy comfortably took his first attack mode, holding off Frijns. He then went straight into his second attack mode and pulled away,  taking the win from Frijns in second and Rowland in third. 

Round 4: São Paulo

Round 4 of the FIA Formula E World Championship occurred on May 16th 2024 in São Paulo, Brazil Pascal Wherlein secured his second Pole Position of the season. Now, where to begin with the race which hailed to be one of the best finishes in Formula E history? As we started to see throughout the season with drivers not wanting to lead the pack for most of the race, Wherlein took his first attack mode on Lap 3 and his TAG Heuer Porsche teammate António Félix Da Costa was left out front.

Sam Bird ended up with the lead from Da Costa and had the lead for most of the race until Mitch Evans took that away on Lap 28. It looked to be a done deal for Evans until Bird had other ideas as he braved it on the inside and secured the win with the last corner to go. Believe it or not, there was a close battle behind amongst Jake Dennis, Pascal Wehrlein and Oliver Rowland who eventually managed to secure third place.

Round 5: Tokyo

Next up was the first Tokyo e-Prix with Oliver Rowland in Pole Position for the second time that season. It was a textbook start for Rowland who held the lead until Lap 25, where he let Maximillian Günther take over the lead to save on energy. Mitch Evans, on race 100 for Jaguar TCS Racing, found himself in a bit of a situation when his wing was under his front tyre after contact with the wall at turn 9.

Rowland seemed to be low on energy and eventually fell into the clutches of António Félix Da Costa, who tried to take second place by taking the outside line. However, they didn’t expect Jake Dennis to get a good exit and snatch third place from Da Costa. It was another chaotic final lap as Günther and Rowland’s energy dropped below 1%. Despite having 2% more energy, Dennis could not catch the top two.

Round 6 and 7: Misano

Previously held in Rome, the 2024 Italian double-header was at a new track, the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. With an outstanding track record in Italy, it was unsurprising that Mitch Evans secured Pole Position for Round 6.  The beauty of Misano allowed the Gen 3 cars to go two to three wide around the corners which resulted in multiple changes for the lead due to nobody wanting to be out front for too long. We were set for an exciting race.

During the early stages of the race, both title contenders, Pascal Wehrlein and Nick Cassidy, had to pit for new front wings after making contact with Jean-Éric Vergne. António Félix Da Costa initially crossed the finish line first but was later disqualified because the throttle damper spring did not conform to one of the three optional declared items. As a result, Oliver Rowland was declared the winner. Jake Dennis secured second place with Maximillian Günther in third.

The Misano e-Prix continued the next day with Round 7, where NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes secured his first Pole Position of the season. Robin Frijns neutralised the race after falling victim to a three-car into one corner battle with Sam Bird and António Félix Da Costa. Unfortunately, it was another day to forget for DAC as smoke bellowed around his TAG Heuer Porsche after tapping Bird’s rear.

He wasn’t the only one having to pit for a new front wing as he was joined by Andretti’s Norman Nato. When the Final Lap approached Oliver Rowland looked like he had the win secured, but with his energy being 2% down, he suddenly stopped on track. Pascal Wehrlein took the win from Jake Dennis and Nick Cassidy edged out Maximillian Günther to finish third.

Round 8: Monaco

We reached the halfway point in the season as Formula E got ready to race on the streets of Monte-Carlo. Sam Bird had an unfortunate crash in Free Practice 1 with a possible hand injury and, due to the fast paces of a single header in Monaco, Taylor Barnard, Reserve and Development Driver for NEOM McLaren, was substituted in to complete the remaining sessions. Pascal Wehrlein started in pole position.

On lap 4, at the famous hairpin, the ERT of Sergio Sette Câmara took the kerb a little late, causing a collision with Envision Racing’s Sébastian Buemi, which cut off António Félix Da Costa. Shortly after, Edo Mortara crashed into the wall at high speed. Mahindra later confirmed a technical brake problem resulted in the crash. Due to the incident, the safety car was deployed as the drivers approached the hairpin, causing everyone to slow down suddenly. This led to Jake Hughes’ front wing colliding with the rear of Sette Câmara.

The Jaguar team provided an outstanding strategy, making their drivers work together: one backed the pack up and the other took their attack mode. With Nick Cassidy having lower energy, it was decided he wouldn’t fight for the win but defend against Stoffel Vandoorne’s PENSKE instead, securing a one-two in Monaco. And that he did.

Round 9 and 10: Berlin

Formula E landed in Berlin, Germany to mark the 10th year of the Berlin e-Prix at Tempelhof Airport, treating us to a brand-new track layout. Multiple drivers were absent due to running in the 6 hours of Spa-Francorchamps​ in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Sébastien Buemi and Robin Frijns of Envision Racing were replaced by Paul Aron and Joel Eriksson. Jordan King was in for Nyck de Vries of Mahindra Racing, and Kelvin van der Linde replaced Nico Müller at ABT CUPRA. Taylor Barnard continued in the NEOM McLaren due to Sam Bird’s hand injury sustained in Monaco.

There was a surprising pole position with Edo Mortara starting up front for Mahindra. With a wide track and tight corners, it was a tough race for the drivers. Further into the race, Lucas di Grassi got sent into a spin by one of the ERT drivers and Maxi Günther found the wall. With a couple of brief intervals, it was all to play for as the lead changed numerous times and at one point, four drivers contended for first place on the same corner.

Nick Cassidy fought from the back to take the chequered flag first from JEV and Oliver Rowland. Additionally, Taylor Barnard became the youngest point scorer in Formula E history at 19 years old.

Day 2 in Berlin saw Jake Dennis take pole position for the first time in 2024. Nick Cassidy had an incredible launch off the line whilst Dennis shuffled behind. Unfortunately for the German fans, Maxi Günther crashed out again, bringing out the safety car. On lap 21, Sacha Fenestraz found himself in a DS Penske sandwich. In the aftermath, Stoffel Vandoorne had to pit for a new front, but only a couple of laps later, Fenestraz was in trouble again as Norman Nato clattered into the side of him, drawing both of their races to a close.

There was a lot of back-and-forth on track between Dennis and Wehrlein, which wasn’t pleasant for me in the Andretti garage for this race. Let’s just say it was very tense…. AND FINALLY, we saw Antonio Felix Da Costa WIN in 2024. Nick Cassidy took 2nd place and Oliver Rowland in 3rd. 

Round 11 and 12: China

It had been a while since Formula E touched down in China, and this marked the first event at the Shanghai International Circuit. Jean-Éric Vergne secured his sixteenth pole position, tying him with Sebastian Buemi for the record of most poles. The race started smoothly for the first few laps until Pascal Wehrlein took the lead from JEV. He and his Porsche teammate worked together, strategically deploying their attack modes and controlling the race between them.

However, Nyck De Vries fancied leading in his Mahindra but was quickly instructed by his team boss to conserve energy and reduce his pace. Wehrlein appeared to be a strong contender throughout the race, but Mitch Evans had slightly more energy, allowing him to eventually take the lead. His teammate, Nick Cassidy, was in third place, chasing Wehrlein to the finish line. Unfortunately, Cassidy lacked the time to catch up.

The following day, Jake Hughes took pole position by 0.001s *gasp* However, it was Stoffel Vandoorne who led into the first corner. Antonio Felix Da Costa latched on to the top two and managed to secure second place from Hughes on Lap 2. It was a tragedy for Pascal Wherlein who unfortunately received a rear puncture from NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird, who then found himself in more trouble as he clattered into the side of Nyck De Vries’ Mahindra.

Antonio Felix Da Costa took the lead on lap 16 with one car full of energy but the battle behind for second position was still on, working in Da Costa’s favour as he could pull away from the group. Jake Hughes took his first-ever podium in Formula E with Norman Nato who had an incredible race, finishing behind to conclude his first podium of the year. 

Round 13 and 14: Portland

With the final weekend in sight, Formula E heads to Portland for the penultimate weekend. 

Due to illness, Caio Collet made his Formula E debut in Oliver Rowland’s Nissan. Title contender Mitch Evans started in pole position, with Nick Cassidy in 10th, Jake Dennis in 9th, and Pascal Wehrlein in 8th. It was all to play for, but nothing is ever as it seems in Formula E. Mitch Evans picked up an early 5-second penalty for causing a collision with Jake Hughes due to all the cars running closely together – this would drop him out of the points.

With the end in sight, Nick Cassidy looked to secure first place however, with his teammate behind him and free to race, the pressure got all too much. A snap of oversteer caused Cassidy to go off track, resulting in him dropping down the order. Mitch Evans crossed the finish line in first, but due to his earlier penalty, Antonio Felix Da Costa claimed victory for the second consecutive time. Robin Frijns finished in second place, with Jean-Éric Vergne close behind in third.

The second day in Portland saw Jean-Éric Vergne secure pole position ahead of yesterday’s race winner Antonio Felix Da Costa. Initially, Vergne led off the line but soon after, he came side-by-side with Da Costa coming out ahead in the breaking zone. It was absolute drama for two of the title contenders as Pascal Wehrlein and Nick Cassidy sustained front wing damage. Wehrlein continued until he dislodged his front wing, but unfortunately for Cassidy, he pitted for a new one.

Things were looking up for the NEOM McLarens as they showed pace in the morning qualifying third and fifth position but it was a disastrous race as both drivers had incidents that left Hughes to DNF and Bird to slip down the order. Yet again, it was Antonio Felix Da Costa who won his third consecutive race.

Round 15 and 16: London

Formula E has finally arrived in London for the final and it is all to play for with seven championship contenders- Mitch Evans, Nick Cassidy, Jean-Éric Vergne, Antonio Felix Da Costa, Jake Dennis, Pascal Wehrlein and Oliver Rowland. Saturday saw Mitch Evans take pole position and, more crucially, the three additional points that come with it. Jake Dennis found himself with his elbows out and collided with Robin Frijns and Jean-Éric Vergne but, two other championship contenders, Oliver Rowland and Antonio Felix Da Costa, found themself in the wall at the final corner.

Nick Cassidy was having a hard time down the order, clanging wheels with Stoffel Vandoorne. The battle at the front consisted of Mitch Evans and Pascal Wehrlein swapping and changing places with Sebastian Buemi and Maxi Günther but, with a late safety car Günther found himself in second place. However, it wasn’t meant to be as his Maserati MSG slowed down and Mitch Evans retook second place with Sebastian Buemi in third and Pascal Wehrlein crossing the line in first, additionally taking over the lead of the championship.

From seven to three, we go into the final race with Mitch Evans, Nick Cassidy and Pascal Wehrlein as the final championship contenders covered by just seven points. 

We have finally reached the season finale. The sun was shining on the ExCeL London, and everybody was ready for a Champion to be crowned, but who would it be? Tension filled the ExCel as the crowd fell silent as the lights went green. Just four points separated the title contenders. Nick Cassidy led into the first corner, followed by Mitch Evans in second place. Cassidy activated his attack modes but fell behind Evans, inheriting the lead with Pascal Wehrlein in second. At this point, no one knew how the race would unfold, but disaster was just around the corner.

Cassidy was caught off guard by Oliver Rowland and slipped to fourth place. As the drivers reached the inside section, Cassidy was hit from behind by António Félix da Costa, resulting in a tyre puncture that left him painfully out of contention for the championship. Out front, the leaders went to take their attack mode but you couldn’t make it up!

Evans and Wehrlein both missed their attack modes. Rowland leads as the safety car is deployed due to debris on the track. Once the safety car period ended, both Evans and Wehrlein successfully took their second attempts at their first attack mode deployment.

Rowland allowed Evans to regain first place in case his overtake was deemed illegal under the safety car period. On the following lap, Evans yet again failed to activate his attack mode which placed him behind Pascal Wehrlein. Just like that, Pascal Wherlein became the 2024 Formula E World Champion!