Pascal Wehrlein bounced back from a disappointing Saturday to deliver a strong recovery in Formula E Berlin E-Prix Race 2, climbing onto the third step of the podium and reclaiming the lead of the Drivers’ Championship. The TAG Heuer Porsche driver started from pole position, dropped through the order in the chaotic opening phase, and then fought his way back to a podium finish behind Mitch Evans and Oliver Rowland.
Speaking in the post-race press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Wehrlein reflected on Porsche’s emotional weekend on home soil, the contrast in his own two days at Tempelhof, and what a Monaco victory would mean to him.
A weekend of contrasts for Porsche
Saturday brought a maiden Formula E victory for Nico Müller and a milestone home win for Porsche, but Wehrlein’s own afternoon ended without much to celebrate after a puncture wrecked his race. Sunday’s recovery, however, gave the 2024 German Formula E champion another podium in front of its home crowd, and the championship lead was restored to its pre-Berlin owner.
When the conversation in the press conference turned to the celebrations that followed Müller’s breakthrough victory, Wehrlein was characteristically grounded.
“Well, that’s the downside winning on Saturday. I guess, you know, today everyone could party. Yesterday, that wasn’t the case.”
Saturday night, he explained, was anything but a celebration for those still chasing a result. With Race 2 only hours away, the focus shifted entirely to preparation and learning from the mistakes of Race 1.
“We were preparing for today, preparing the cars, having meetings, analysing what we could do better. And on my side, obviously, there was not so much to celebrate, so I just tried to have a good dinner and switch off and forget about yesterday and come back stronger today. So yeah, we’ve achieved that and we go from here.”
Eyes on a missing piece in Monaco
Wehrlein’s Formula E CV is already packed with significant achievements, but one of the championship’s most prestigious venues continues to elude him. Looking ahead to the upcoming Monaco E-Prix, the Porsche driver was asked how much it would mean to add the principality to his list of victories.
“It would be fantastic. I was once probably very close, being in the lead and having a technical issue, and yet there was probably very likely to be a win, but that was already four years ago, so it is what it is. I give my best.”
His approach to Monaco, as ever, comes down to extracting the maximum from whatever the car gives him on the day.
“If we have the car and the performance to win, I will win. If everything that we can do is third, I will be third, so I will try to be second. That’s it, that’s my approach. Every time, maximising the result and see what we can.”
For now, the Berlin E-Prix Race 2 sends Wehrlein and Porsche into the Monaco double-header with momentum firmly back on their side. With the championship lead restored and the team riding the high of a maiden victory for Müller, the principality offers another chance to add the missing piece to Wehrlein’s Formula E story.
