Nico Müller produced the drive of his Formula E career to claim his first-ever victory in the championship at the Berlin E-Prix’s Race 1, delivering a hugely emotional triumph for Porsche on home soil at Tempelhof.
The Swiss driver crossed the line ahead of Nick Cassidy and Oliver Rowland after a frantic, attrition-filled opening race of the German double-header. Speaking to Pit Debrief in the aftermath, Müller reflected on what the win means to him personally and how he kept his composure in one of the most chaotic races of the season.
A career-defining moment
Müller had been knocking on the door for some time, but turning that potential into a maiden Formula E victory at Porsche’s home race made the moment all the more meaningful. The 34-year-old made no attempt to hide just how significant the result felt.
When asked by Pit Debrief about how much the victory meant to him, he answered, “A lot, of course. I think it is one of the biggest successes of my career, simply because Formula E is so closely contested, the level is so high.”
“And then it happened here in Berlin at Porsche’s home race, yes, also a bit of my home race in a way. My wife comes from here, her family is here. That makes the whole thing very, very special.”
The personal connection to Berlin gave the victory an emotional weight that went well beyond the championship implications, and the timing could hardly have been more fitting given Porsche’s status as the home manufacturer at Tempelhof.
Keeping composure through the chaos
Race 1 at the Berlin E-Prix lived up to Tempelhof’s chaotic reputation. The lead changed hands repeatedly through the opening laps, with Edoardo Mortara, Oliver Rowland, Zane Maloney and Lucas di Grassi all spending time at the front before Müller eventually delivered the decisive move on the final lap. Pole-sitter Mortara faded out of contention, Pascal Wehrlein suffered a puncture and several of the early front-runners tumbled down the order.
Asked how he stayed calm amid the relentless action, Müller explained that experience in the all-electric series has taught him to take the chaos in his stride.
“You gradually learn that in Formula E, to stay calm, because it is almost the norm,” he said. “But I think the knowledge that you have a good package, and in the first laps you feel relatively quickly whether the car is performing or not. And that showed itself quickly.”
That early feedback from the car gave Müller the confidence to bide his time and pick his moments, ultimately allowing him to surge to the front when it mattered most.
A landmark result for Porsche
The victory at Race 1 of the Berlin E-Prix, marked a breakthrough not only for Müller personally but also for Porsche on a weekend the manufacturer had circled on the calendar. With Pascal Wehrlein’s afternoon unravelling and Edoardo Mortara emerging from the chaos as the new championship leader, Müller stepped up to ensure Porsche still had a winner to celebrate in front of its home crowd.
For a driver who has worked tirelessly to convert Formula E pace into results, the maiden win on home soil represents a genuine career milestone and gives both Müller and Porsche valuable momentum heading into Race 2 at Tempelhof.
