Five takeaways from the London E-Prix
- Teagan Crump
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
The Formula E Season 12 title decider in London ended on a chaotic note, leaving several fans questioning if the outcome proved ‘correct’. Despite the controversy, Formula E’s last race at the ExCel ended up just as memorable as ever, with champions crowned and a new winner in store.
Pascal Wehrlein does not forget
Despite being crowned World Champion for the second time, Pascal Wehrlein’s journey to the top was less than ideal.
A race weekend marred with controversy saw some tactical battles and defending that made fans question whether the Formula E title was won ‘ethically’ or if certain drivers and teams had manipulated the races in their favour.
During Round 17, Wehrlein made some remarks on the radio about former teammate and title rival António Félix da Costa, implying that he had not forgotten the past battles that the two had engaged in.
The outburst had emerged as a response to da Costa’s defensive approach throughout the race, with the Portuguese driver fending hard in a bid to help teammate Mitch Evans’ quest for a title ahead.
Wehrlein’s radio message after crossing the line proved fiery in response, and it leaves little doubt about the animosity between the former teammates carrying over into the Gen4 era.
Team tactics across the grid
Throughout the grid, many alliances have been formed previously - Porsche’s customer Cupra Kiro and Andretti up until the end of Season 12, which eventually came to an end on and off the track for the latter. However, title contenders Porsche and Jaguar exercised several measures in a bid to help their title-contending protagonists.
Between the two Porsches of Wehrlein and Nico Müller, it seemed as though team orders were at play with the latter defending hard against the Jaguar drivers in order to further Wehrlein’s lead in the Championship.
Jaguar replicated the same tactics heading into Sunday’s Round 17, who were attempting to hold the World Champion back so that Mitch Evans had a chance of winning the title.
Both sets of drivers seemingly had grievances about the tactics, with some deeming them unnecessary despite the fact that drivers on both sides somewhat benefited from the tactics.
A less than ideal finale for Lucas di Grassi
Lucas di Grassi’s final weekend in Formula E was not how he would have liked to end his iconic career.
Two non-finishes across both races proved to be a fitting end for the tumultuous season that Lola Yamaha ABT and di Grassi had, winning one race whilst failing to score in 13 races. His four points scoring races meant he finished 17th out of 20 drivers in the standings, in his final Formula E campaign.
A fitting goodbye for the ExCel
Amidst the big send-offs, Season 12 also marked the final event Formula E held around the ExCel Arena, with 12 rounds taking place in six seasons.
Over the years, the ExCel has produced some iconic and memorable races. Season 12 was no exception. Wehrlein dominated Round 16, and a first victory for Taylor Barnard in Round 17 emerged as the highlights of a weekend that delivered on the drama.
Across qualifying, there were front-row lockouts for different teams. Round 16 saw Porsche take the top two spots whereas for Round 17, the Mahindra duo of Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara claimed the front row.
The weekend was an incredible send-off with high-intensity racing taking centre stage at every corner of the track, and a finale that delivered several twists in the tale to decide the season’s winners.
DS Penske to the top
In the final round of Season 12, DS Penske were added to the winning teams list, meaning that all teams except Envision Racing won a race this season. Barnard also became the season’s 11th different winner, matching the tally with Season 7 in 2021.
This impressive feat was sealed by Taylor Barnard who took an impressive maiden victory. Barnard was able to keep his cool, climbing up from sixth on the grid to third, before a brace of passes on de Vries and Mortara sealed the deal for the 22-year-old, in his final attempt at taking the record of Formula E’s youngest winner.
In Season 11, the Briton came agonisingly close to victory, and this victory marked the end of yet another season of promise and opportunity, a long time coming for a promising racer of Barnard’s calibre.
Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
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