Season 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship ended last weekend with a good performance at the Berlin E-Prix for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team. Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E, takes stock in our interview. He talks about the positive development of the team in the high-performance environment of the world's first electric racing series, the missed opportunities in the fight for the first victory for the Porsche 99X Electric and the most important tasks in preparation for the eighth season.

One pole position and two podium finishes : What is your balance sheet after your second Formula E season?
“We have everything it takes to be competitive at a top level. We have proven that. But when we look back on the season, we also have to admit that overall we have fallen short of our own expectations. There were a few races where we just weren't good enough. We gave away points, especially in the first half of the season, and that set us back. On the other hand, we were one of the most consistent teams in the second half of the season and regularly scored points. Our position in the championship table doesn't really reflect where we stand as a team. We have the potential to win races. We have learned a lot in this season of highs and lows, and we are taking these experiences with us to come back to season 8 even stronger. "

How much higher was the pressure of expectation in the team and on the team compared to your debut season?
“That was of course much higher. But that's normal, we deal with it every day. But we mustn't forget that our first season in Formula E was severely affected by the pandemic. We lost five races in which we could have learned and stabilized as a young team. We therefore had to make some experiences the hard way, so to speak, in a shorter period of time. ”

What did these special circumstances mean for the development of the team?
“Our team has developed well this season. The progress we've made is enormous, given the stiff competition in this World Cup. A good team doesn't come in a year. It's a long, very complex process. We are on a good way. The team spirit and the motivation that I see and experience every day make me look to the future with great confidence. ”

With André Lotterer you have a veteran in the team and with Pascal Wehrlein a young driver. How do you rate their performance?
“Pascal came to us before the season and quickly felt at home in the Porsche motorsport family. He is one of the fastest qualifiers in the field. His pace in the race is also very impressive. We are very happy with him and look forward to a successful future together. It was a tough year for André. He didn't score in the first five races. How he got over this difficult start and finished second on the podium in the sixth race shows all his experience and his class. We have very strong drivers and together with them we will use every opportunity to take further steps forward. ”

The performance density in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is very high. After this season, how do you see yourself compared to the strong competition?
“In Berlin, at the last event of the season, 18 drivers still had a chance for the title. That says everything about the strength and balance of this World Cup. In qualifying, the first 15 drivers were sometimes only two tenths of a second apart. It's incredibly tight. A small mistake by the driver or the team and you fall behind with no chance of a top result. This enormous power density is also a great challenge that drives us all to always give our best. If you succeed in delivering a good result in this environment, that is a particular satisfaction. The most important thing is to deliver consistently good performance over the entire season and to score points even if things don't go optimally in qualifying. This ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is a great series.

Why was it not enough to achieve the first victory you had aimed for this season?
“We were often very close, not much was missing. It's unbelievable how tight it is. One or two places ahead in qualifying can make all the difference. A thousandth of a second in the Super Pole can decide whether you stand on the clean side of the track at the start or have to watch your neighbor take advantage of this advantage. I don't want to talk about Puebla now, where we were the first to cross the finish line and our victory was denied due to a formal error - but it's just that we definitely had our chances this season. We have the potential it takes to win. We just have to manage to put all the little pieces of the puzzle together. "

How happy are you that Pascal and André are your drivers again in the new season?
“We are very happy to be able to continue with you. The drivers are a very important constant in the work of a team, not just on the racetrack. A fundamental prerequisite for a successful cooperation is trust, and we have that. Together we are now focusing on preparing for season 8 and on reaching the next level with Pascal and André. ”

There are still 23 weeks until the first race in Diriyah. What will happen until then?
“After the season is before the season, as banal as that may sound. But there really isn't much time to put your feet on the table. We'll take a few days off to recharge the batteries but then focus on Season 8 with everything we have. For us, the break is not as long as it seems at first glance. We have a plan that aims to further improve our potential and thereby close the gap to the top. We will implement this plan step by step, with many hours in the simulator and the optimization of various details. For a racing team, it's normal everyday life. ”

Formula E has managed to set up an attractive racing calendar this season despite the pandemic. How do you see this achievement?
“It was a tough year not only for the teams, but also for the organizers. It was a fantastic achievement that Formula E managed to make a full season with 15 races possible despite the sometimes very severe restrictions caused by the pandemic. A big thank you to everyone who contributed. ”

When you look at season 8, what are you looking forward to the most?
“Clearly on the great sporting challenges that await us in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. And that we can then fully exploit our potential and convert it into race victories. ”

Facts and figures: The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team in season 7
After 15 races at eight different venues, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team finished its second season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in 8th place in the team classification. The Porsche 99X Electric achieved a pole position (race 8 in Puebla) and two podium positions (race 4 in Rome and race 6 in Valencia).

At least one Porsche 99X Electric finished twelve races in the points. Both cars took points in three races. At least one Porsche 99X Electric made it into Super Pole in nine races, and in one race both cars qualified for the battle for pole position. Porsche achieved the best team result at Race 11 in New York City: Pascal Wehrlein finished 4th at the Big Apple, André Lotterer 5th.

Pascal Wehrlein was 11th in the driver class with 79 points, making him the best German. He started from pole position once (Puebla) and made it onto the podium once (3rd place in Rome). He qualified for the Super Pole five times and scored points in nine races. It was his first season for the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team.

André Lotterer achieved 17th place in the drivers' standings with 58 points. He took a podium finish (2nd place in Valencia), qualified four times for the Super Pole and secured points in six races. For him it was the second season in the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team.

The Porsche 99X Electric covered a total of 6,045.06 kilometers (2,342 laps) in training and racing in season 7.

Porsche in Formula E.
André Lotterer ensured the successful racing debut of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team in November 2019 when he finished second in the season opener race in Diriyah. A tailor-made debut and proof that Porsche had a competitive vehicle at the start with the Porsche 99X Electric. This was impressively underlined by the first pole position in Mexico City and another second place in the home race in Berlin. Pascal Wehrlein joined the team before the 2020/2021 season. He took pole position in Puebla and came third in Rome. André Lotterer finished second in Valencia. Formula E is the world's first fully electric racing series and, as an accelerator for innovative and sustainable mobility technologies, has been bringing exciting motorsport to people in the metropolises since 2014. In the 2020/2021 season, in which a driver and team world champion was crowned for the first time, more automobile manufacturers were at the start than in any other racing series. The races were correspondingly interesting and hard-fought. Porsche is also relying on its regular drivers André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein for 2021/2022.