Pascal Wehrlein secured a valuable second-place finish in Race 1 of the Berlin E-Prix, delivering a strong performance that significantly strengthens the TAG Heuer Porsche team’s position in both the Formula E Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships. Despite standing on the second step of the podium, Wehrlein’s tone on team radio suggested some frustration—a sentiment he later clarified as driven by the belief that victory had been within reach under different circumstances.
Strong pace but missed opportunity
Wehrlein expressed clear confidence in the pace of his car and the team’s competitiveness, even if the result fell short of a race win. Early challenges, including a penalty and a compromised opening lap, proved costly.
“Yeah, I think so. Yeah, with different circumstances for sure. The penalty did not help, lap one did not help and I pushed really hard in the last couple of laps and went a bit wide in turn nine-tenths on my second last lap. But yeah, I think it was clear that we were super quick today. The quickest out there, yeah, collected a lot of points, which is important.”
Although most might view second place, Wehrlein’s belief in his car’s performance left him wondering what could have been under a cleaner race scenario.
Home race, high stakes
The Berlin E-Prix carries particular importance for Porsche and for Wehrlein personally. With a host of VIPs, partners, and family present, the weekend held both sporting and emotional weight.
“Great day for us, important weekend, you know, home race for the team, for me, a lot of partner sponsors here, our board members, my family, a lot of friends. So it was great to put on a good show, a good race and sleep well tonight and have another try tomorrow.”
The chance to perform in front of his home crowd—and to showcase the team’s progress—was not lost on the German driver, who made sure to capitalise on the opportunity despite illness affecting his weekend preparations.
A podium shared with family
One of the most memorable moments of the Berlin E-Prix came post-race, as Wehrlein’s daughter joined her father on the Formula E podium. It marked the first time she had accompanied him for such an occasion.
“Yeah, it was great. I mean, it was the first time I took her up there. Obviously, they came already quite often, but yeah, I feel like now she is old enough to be up there and not be scared and kind of realise what is going on and yeah, it was beautiful.”
Wehrlein shared that the moment was especially meaningful given he had been under the weather in the days leading up to the race. As a result, he had made a personal promise to deliver a result his daughter could celebrate.
“I am struggling a bit with a cold, so the last couple of days I could not spend as much time with them as I normally would, so this morning I promised her, “I will bring you a trophy.””
Focusing on the bigger picture
While Wehrlein’s result earned him valuable individual points, his focus remained on the team’s broader objectives. With rival Oliver Rowland failing to score, the race presented a potential shift in the Drivers’ Championship. Nevertheless, Wehrlein maintained perspective.
“Zero. Yeah, I think the Drivers’ Championship for us is very unrealistic. Everything we can do is to go all in every race, collect the points.”
Rather than chasing a slim chance at the Drivers’ title, Wehrlein reiterated that the team’s strategic focus lies in clinching the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles—goals now well within reach after the Berlin E-Prix.
“It is clear that our team targets are the Teams’ and the Manufacturers’ Championships and that is where we focus on. So today I did my part of collecting a lot of points for the team and bring us up there. I think we are leading both championships now and yeah, it is three more races to go, so we try to maximise those.”
