The Rome E-Prix marks the start of the critical phase in the bid for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship title. The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team travels to the Eternal City as the championship leaders and aims to pull clear of its pursuers before the final round of the season in London on 29 and 30 July. To achieve this, Pascal Wehrlein (#94) and António Félix da Costa (#13) are determined to bring home the necessary points in the Porsche 99X Electric.

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is not alone in running two Porsche 99X Electric cars on the demanding street circuit in the historic setting of the Italian metropolis. Porsche’s customer team Avalanche Andretti also fields two of the Weissach-developed electric racing cars. Jake Dennis (GBR) – who moved to the top of the drivers’ championship leaderboard in Portland – and André Lotterer (GER) will compete for the outfit of the US motor racing legend Michael Andretti. So far this season, the Porsche 99X Electric has notched up five race victories.

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team heads to the doubleheader event in Rome as the leader of the teams’ standings in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. With 231 points, the squad ranks first after twelve of 16 races, followed by Envision Racing (225), Jaguar (184) and Avalanche Andretti (177). In the drivers’ classification, Pascal Wehrlein occupies third place with 138 points behind Jake Dennis (154) and Nick Cassidy (NZL/153). António Félix da Costa (93) is sixth, with André Lotterer (23) in P15.

An official practice for rookies is scheduled before the first free practice on Friday afternoon. Yifei Ye (CHN) will drive the Porsche 99X Electric in this session for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. As a Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific selected driver, Ye has already participated in the rookie test as part of the Formula E guest event in Berlin. This season, he contests the World Endurance Championship WEC at the wheel of a customer-run Porsche 963 hybrid prototype.

Q&A on the Rome E-Prix

Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E:
The title fight in Formula E is coming to a head. What’s your outlook and what strategy will you implement in Rome to put more space between you and your pursuers?
“There’s only one strategy for Rome: full attack. The battle for the title is so tight that you can’t risk any major tactical ploys. Every point is paramount and could ultimately decide the world championship. In Portland, we managed to extend our lead over Jaguar, in Rome we will give everything to increase our advantage over Envision Racing before we head to the final races in London. The track in Rome should suit us, as will the conditions we’re expecting. Our aim must also be to make up the deficit in the drivers’ standings that was created in Portland.”

What awaits you in Rome and do you think the title will be decided there?
“No, I don’t expect that. There are still 58 points up for grabs for the drivers on the final weekend in London. I can’t imagine anyone will be that far ahead in the standings after Rome. That makes it all the more important for the team to support Pascal as much as possible. Above all, we need to ensure that we start much further up on the grid. In Rome, we’re looking at a completely different course to the one in Portland; a real street circuit with very few run-off zones and some 90-degree corners. That requires a completely different set-up philosophy.”

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#94)
You reclaimed the world championship lead in Jakarta, in Portland you lost it again. Do these ups and downs take a toll on you?
“I’m not concerned about that. I’ll start worrying about points in London. It doesn’t make sense before then, the situation at the top is still far too tight. That can change again in just one race. Of course, Portland was a setback. But we’ll work even harder as a team to have another successful race weekend in Rome.”

After the comparatively wide IndyCar track in Portland, how much are you looking forward to the narrow street circuit in Rome?
“Rome is one of my favourite tracks. I achieved my first podium there with the team two years ago. I’m really looking forward to the circuit, which is vastly different to Portland. It’s a typical Formula E circuit with much less space, lots of tight corners, hard braking points and numerous bumpy sections. I think the track suits us extremely well. It’s very demanding and a real challenge in a fantastic city with great fans. I have a good feeling about Rome.”

António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13)
After your win in Cape Town, you had some bad luck. How did you go about making a strong comeback with your podium finish in Portland?
“I have a brilliant team in my corner that never stopped believing in me. They’ve always been there to help me work hard, overcome setbacks and look ahead with confidence. That’s the kind of support that gives a racer the drive to do his best. In Portland, we were rewarded for that.”

You laid the foundation with a strong qualifying performance. What is the big challenge for you now in Rome?
“We’ve always had a decent race pace, only in qualifying were we often not good enough. In Portland, we pulled it all together. That’s a very good position for us to be in with four races to go. In Rome, we need a completely different setup to be fast on this real Formula E circuit. We’re working alongside our engineers to find the perfect balance for the car. After that, we’ll focus on qualifying. That will play a much more important role in Rome than in Portland.”

The circuit
The 3.385-kilometre Circuito Cittadino dell’Eur racetrack in the district of Esposizione Universale di Roma is one of the longest on the Formula E calendar. The demanding circuit with 19 corners leads around the Obelisco di Marconi and behind the iconic Colosseo Quadrat. The racetrack features fast passages and slow 90-degree turns. The long straights give drivers excellent opportunities to overtake.

Live TV and Internet coverage
The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E event is available at https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/ways-to-watch

The Porsche 99X Electric
Porsche contests season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with the Porsche 99X Electric. The new electric racing car featuring the Porsche E-Performance Powertrain – which underwent modifications in Weissach for the third generation vehicle in the innovative electric racing series – also serves as a development platform for the sports car manufacturer’s fully-electric production models. Energy management and efficiency are important factors for success in Formula E and Porsche’s all-electric production cars. The maximum output of the Porsche 99X Electric is 350 kW (476 PS), which is 100 kW more than the predecessor generation (Gen2). At least 40 percent of the energy used is recuperated via regenerative braking. The new cars are the fastest, lightest, most powerful and most efficient electric vehicles ever built.

Porsche Taycan Turbo S safety car
Porsche is committed to Formula E safety: With the all-electric Taycan Turbo S, Porsche again supplies the official safety car this season – thus underlining the importance of Formula E for Porsche Motorsport. Thanks to its driveability and safety as well as an output of up to 560 kW (761 PS), the top model in the Taycan range is the ideal choice as a safety car in the world’s first electric racing series. The striking paintwork incorporates the colours of all eleven competing teams as well as those of the FIA and Formula E. The design symbolises the joint commitment to the future of all-electric motor racing as well as social values such as diversity and community.

Formula E
Formula E is the world’s first fully-electric racing series bringing thrilling motorsport to people living in major cities since 2014. As an accelerator for innovative and sustainable mobility technologies, it promotes the worldwide acceptance of electric vehicles. Eleven teams tackle the 2022/2023 season with 22 drivers. This guarantees interesting and fiercely competitive races. The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team contests its fourth season of the innovative electric racing series with the Porsche 99X Electric.