Ahead of the Monaco E-Prix, Pascal Wehrlein spoke to Pit Debrief about Porsche’s chances around the streets of Monte Carlo, the importance of qualifying, and the strategic challenge that Pit Boost will bring to the weekend.
Porsche pace fuels victory hopes
Despite claiming pole-position and leading laps around the Principality, his first win is still missing. Reflecting on previous appearances, he explained that the overall pace has always been stronger than the results suggested. The biggest missed opportunity was when a technical issue ended what could’ve been his maiden Monaco E-Prix win.
“First of off the technical side, one year we had to retire because of a technical issue which would’ve been out first win here. But we always had good weekends here even if you can’t really see it in the results. There were simply several things that didn’t come together to achieve a better result, but the pace here has always been very strong.”
However, Wehrlein arrives for the Monaco E-Prix weekend optimistic about Porsche’s form. With the team constantly fighting for podiums and victories, Wehrlein believes they are in a strong position this year.
“That is why I think we are in a very good position this year. We’ve been fighting for podiums and victories on many different types of tracks so far. So, I hope and believe we will be strong again this weekend.”
Qualifying expected to play decisive role in Monaco
Track position has always been crucial around Monaco, and Wehrlein expected qualifying to play a more important role this weekend. The championship leader stressed the importance of preparation and setup work over the weekend, highlighting that starting from the front is essential for a realistic chance of victory.
“Yes, Qualifying is way more important here than it was in Berlin. It is true we are in general strong in Qualifying, but it does not mean it will be like this here. We need to do our job, we need to set up the car correctly and need to do the right changes. And then we have to bring everything together. So, it is a new weekend, but if you want to win the race, you have to start within the first five or eight cars, if not it will be hard. “
Pit Boost adds another strategic challenge at Monaco E-Prix
Monaco will also see the return of the Pit Boost, which adds another layer of strategy to the E-Prix. When asked about the challenges on a track like Monaco, Wehrlein explained:
“We already had the Pit Boost last year. We got an idea how the dynamic will be. Yeah, it is a strategic tool where you have to be on point with the right call on when to come into the pits, how much to push during the pit-window to not lose places, but ideally gain places.“
