The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team Aims To Score Top Result In Jakarta

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team Aims To Score Top Result In Jakarta

 

A year after its successful premiere in Jakarta, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship returns to contest two races on the 3rd and 4th of June. Pascal Wehrlein and António Félix da Costa will tackle the doubleheader event in the Indonesian capital driving the Porsche 99X Electric race cars of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. 

Image Credit: Porsche Media

After the second half of the season got underway with sun, sea and palm trees in the picturesque setting of Monaco, the teams and drivers now prepare to face extreme weather conditions at the Jakarta E-Prix. On top of sweltering temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius and high humidity, the chance of rain could be another decisive factor. While the practice and qualifying sessions are expected to remain dry, tropical showers and violent thunderstorms should not be discounted for the afternoon race.

After celebrating three victories so far this season – more than any other team – the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team heads to races 10 and 11 at the Jakarta International E-Prix Circuit well prepared. The Porsche customer squad Avalanche Andretti will also field two Porsche 99X Electric there. Joining forces with Jake Dennis (GBR), David Beckmann (GER), the test and reserve driver of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and Avalanche Andretti, contests his first Formula E race. He replaces main driver André Lotterer (GER), who will take part in the official test for the 24 Hours of Le Mans (10/11 June) with Porsche Penske Motorsport during the Jakarta weekend.

Ahead of the Formula E event in the Indonesian capital, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team ranks second in the teams’ standings with 169 points behind Envision Racing (182). Avalanche Andretti (119) lies fourth. In the drivers’ classification, Pascal Wehrlein also ranks second with 101 points behind Nick Cassidy (NZL/121). Jake Dennis (96) is third, with António Félix da Costa (68) in sixth. André Lotterer (23) occupies P13.

Q&A on the Jakarta E-Prix

Image Credit: Porsche Media

Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E

The fight for the Formula E title promises an exciting second half of the season. How do you view the situation heading to Jakarta?

Florian Modlinger: “The top teams are separated by very little in the championship. The teams are extremely evenly matched, and every tenth of a second counts. Jakarta will be a big challenge for us. We’ll have to combine what we’ve learned in the first nine races of this season and continue to implement that knowledge. At the inaugural E-Prix last year, we adapted well to the extreme conditions.”

After an outstanding start to the season with three wins, you lost the championship lead in Monaco. How are the team and drivers dealing with that?

Modlinger: “Nothing is decided in the championship yet. We still have seven races to go, so a lot can happen. Of course, we’d hoped for more in Monaco, but our sights are set on the rest of the season and we’ll work hard to continue to have a say in the battle for the championship titles, for both teams and drivers. We’re expecting to take another big step in Jakarta and bring home significantly more points again.”

 

Image Credit: Porsche Media

António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13)

You started last year’s inaugural race in Jakarta from the front row of the grid. What memories do you have of the country and the track?

António Félix da Costa: “Although I just missed the podium with fourth place, there are a lot of good memories. The crowds were very receptive to Formula E and their enthusiasm created a great atmosphere. The circuit is a medium high-speed track with good grip. After Monaco, we can’t wait to further improve our position in the bid for the title in Jakarta. The heat and high humidity put you under extreme physical stress. But as an athlete, you train for races like this.”

Why has it been so rare for you to secure a good starting position for the race in qualifying lately?

da Costa: “We have a fast racing car. We can’t use this advantage in qualifying at the moment. But we know what we need to work on. It’s only a very small step. We don’t have to try to reinvent the wheel. Even if we manage to qualify in the top 8 or 10, we’d make our lives a lot easier in the race. That’s what we’re aiming to achieve in Jakarta.”

Image Credit: Porsche Media

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94)

In Jakarta, you’ll have to prepare for two races in extreme conditions. What are you expecting?

Pascal Wehrlein: “It’s going to be a hot weekend in every respect. Last year, we adapted well to the conditions, which don’t only affect the drivers and teams, but also the equipment – especially the tyres. After Monaco, we had a little longer to prepare for the doubleheader in Jakarta and to analyse what we perhaps didn’t do quite so well in the last few races. Now, we’re back on the attack.”

How much does it bother you to have lost the championship lead in Monaco?

Wehrlein: “Not a huge amount, there are still too many races ahead of us. Monaco was just a snapshot in the middle of a long season. In Formula E, every race is fiercely contested and, as banal as it sounds, it’s only the points standings after the final race that are decisive. We got off to a great start to the season but didn’t score as well in the last races. Still, with the huge potential of the team and the car, we can turn things around very quickly. In Jakarta, we get two chances to do so.”

The racetrack

The Jakarta International E-Prix Circuit is not a typical street circuit. Located in the provincial district of Ancol close to Jakarta Bay, it resembles a permanent racetrack.  The circuit, which was created last year, is only 2.37 kilometres long but features 18 turns. The start-finish straight is one of the longest on the Formula E calendar.

Live TV and Internet coverage

The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E event in Monaco is available at https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/ways-to-watch

…notes from SP

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