Key Takeaways (TL;DR):
- Clash of Team Tactics: Pascal Wehrlein accused Jaguar and driver António Félix da Costa of attempting to “destroy” his race during the London E-Prix season finale.
- Defending Porsche’s Strategy: Wehrlein argued that while Porsche used Nico Müller to strategically manage spacing on track, Jaguar’s tactics focused purely on running him out of the points.
- Title Triumph Regardless: Despite the aggressive defending from Da Costa and a late-race collision with Jake Dennis, Wehrlein clinched his second Formula E Drivers’ Championship.
Pascal Wehrlein criticized Jaguar’s tactical approach during the Formula E title decider in London. The German driver felt that the strategy adopted by the rival squad differed fundamentally from the one used by Porsche at the London E-Prix, alleging that António Félix da Costa attempted to “destroy” his race to jeopardize his pursuit of the World Championship against Mitch Evans.
The strategic duel between the two outfits defined the London double-header. In Saturday’s opener, Nico Müller slowed his pace to hold up the chasing pack, enabling Wehrlein to build a margin up front and secure the victory. On Sunday, Müller repeated the defensive tactic in an effort to keep Wehrlein positioned ahead of Evans.
Jaguar, on the other hand, needed to put the New Zealander in a position to contest the win while hoping for a low scoring finish from Wehrlein, who entered the finale holding a 21-point advantage. To counter Porsche’s moves, Da Costa mirrored Müller’s blocking role and engaged in fierce wheel-to-wheel battles with Wehrlein.
In the closing stages of the race, aggressive defending from the Portuguese driver cost Wehrlein several positions, briefly shifting the championship virtual lead toward Jake Dennis. Attempting to recover lost ground, Wehrlein forced a late dive on Dennis that triggered a three-car collision involving Joel Eriksson, knocking Dennis out of contention. Evans managed to move forward into 4th place, but fell short of the points required to overturn the championship gap.
Asked whether he saw a difference between the strategies deployed by Porsche and Jaguar, Wehrlein offered a direct assessment.
“I don’t know if I should talk about it, but I think the approach was completely different. Yesterday, our strategy was to keep Mitch behind and keep me ahead of him. Today, theirs was to try to destroy my race and push me out of the points,” Wehrlein stated.
Wehrlein noted that Da Costa’s defensive driving continued even after Evans had pulled significantly ahead on track. According to the German, the Portuguese driver’s tactics made little sense relative to the direct championship battle at that stage of the race.
“Even when Mitch was already far ahead, he [Da Costa] kept blocking me and pushing me off track,” he said. “So yes, they were very different strategies, but it’s not even worth dwelling on or giving them that importance,” he concluded.
Formula E track action resumes on November 16, 2026, with official pre-season testing at the Circuito de Jarama in Madrid, Spain.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Did Pascal Wehrlein win the 2025/26 Formula E World Championship?
Yes. Despite failing to score points in the London finale following late-race contact, Pascal Wehrlein secured his second Formula E World Championship, beating Jake Dennis and Mitch Evans in the final standings.
Why was Pascal Wehrlein upset with António Félix da Costa?
Wehrlein accused Da Costa of driving overly aggressively to block him and run him off track, claiming Jaguar’s sole focus was to knock him out of the points positions.
When does the next Formula E season begin?
Official pre-season testing for the Gen4 Formula E era begins on November 16, 2026, at the Circuito de Jarama in Madrid, Spain.
