LONDON — In a thrilling finale to the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Pascal Wehrlein of TAG Heuer Porsche emerged victorious in the Drivers’ World Championship, overcoming fierce competition from Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy. The dramatic conclusion unfolded at the Hankook London E-Prix with Wehrlein’s triumph exemplifying Season 10’s year of intense racing.
“I don’t know where to start. The race was hard,” Wehrlein said. “Obviously, I knew I had to attack and I had to get in front of the Jags. I think Mich defended quite hard, but I still tried to overtake and pass. I don’t know what happened in the end, if it was due to the safety car that got quite close to the attack mode or because he missed it. But nevertheless, I think what we did this weekend, especially, we knew that yesterday and today are the days and we need to be super focused, concentrated, and outperform probably what the car can do and what we could do here in London, because this has never been a track which is good for our car. I think we did that. I think we clearly showed some great pace. I’m very happy for myself, but even more for the team.
“It feels good. I don’t know what to say, it’s definitely not expected. You turn up, you have a chance. But I always believed in it. The last couple of weeks, every day before my day was starting and my day finished, I said, I can do this. We can do this. Even if the last couple of races, the performance was not that strong and I was struggling a bit with the car and what I felt in the car. I said, It doesn’t matter. I could see it. I taught myself every day, and I’m just super proud of everyone in the team.”
The season finale race saw three contenders – Wehrlein, Evans, and Cassidy – entering the final round separated by just seven points. This set the stage for one of the most exhilarating races in Formula E history, marking a spectacular end to the GEN3 era and to Season 10.
Nick Cassidy demonstrated remarkable resilience, rebounding from a disappointing performance in Portland and a challenging Saturday qualifying session in London. Starting 15th in the first race, he managed to finish seventh, before earning pole position for the second race Sunday morning. Cassidy led the field as teammate Evans overtook Maximillian Günther (Maserati MSG Racing) for second place at turn 1.
An early safety car period allowed Wehrlein to pass Günther, placing all three title contenders in the top-three positions by lap 6. Jaguar appeared poised to dominate, with their drivers battling for the championship. However, internal tensions surfaced during Cassidy’s ATTACK MODE activations, with Evans and Cassidy jostling for position and Wehrlein capitalizing on their discord.
Oliver Rowland, starting from ninth, surged to fourth by lap 29 and overtook Cassidy for third, triggering a collision with Günther that ended Cassidy’s race with a puncture. This left the championship fight to Wehrlein and Evans as the safety car reappeared.
With less than eight laps to go, both Evans and Wehrlein still needed to activate their remaining ATTACK MODE boosts. An invalidated attempt during the caution period handed Rowland the lead, but a safety car infringement forced him to relinquish it to Evans. The Kiwi’s subsequent ATTACK MODE activation failed, returning the lead to Rowland.
On lap 34, Evans successfully activated his boost, but Wehrlein’s strategic ATTACK MODE activation allowed him to overtake, leaving him a clear run to the finish and secure the Drivers’ title. Evans, unable to maintain his pace, finished as the championship runner-up once again.
Rowland comfortably claimed the final race victory of Season 10, while Wehrlein’s second-place finish secured his maiden Drivers’ World Championship by a seven-point margin over Evans. Cassidy finished third in the standings. Despite the setback for the Drivers’ Championship, Jaguar celebrated their first top-tier motorsport title since 1991 by clinching the Teams’ World Championship.
In a double victory for Jaguar TCS Racing, the British team also secured the inaugural Manufacturers’ Trophy, narrowly edging out TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team by just four points in a fiercely competitive season.