Porsche extends Formula E commitment

RIYADH: Porsche and Formula E have announced that the sports car manufacturer has extended its involvement in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship through to Season 12 in 2025/2026.

Porsche entered Formula E in 2019 with an initial five-year commitment until the end of the forthcoming Season 10, which will conclude in July 2024.

The announcement confirmed that TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will continue to compete in the premier all-electric motorsport world championship through the GEN3 era racing the Porsche 99X Electric car.

The GEN3 is the third generation of Formula E race car which debuted this season and is the fastest, lightest, most powerful, and efficient electric race car ever built.

Porsche also confirmed it will continue to play an active role in shaping the successful future of Formula E and is already involved in the design of the fourth generation of race car which will enter the championship from Season 13.

This season has been the most successful for TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team since it entered Formula E. Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa have won four of the 14 races to date – three and one victory, respectively.

For the first time this season, Porsche is supporting a customer team, Avalanche Andretti Formula E, with driver Jake Dennis currently leading the Drivers’ World Championship going into the final two races in London this Saturday and Sunday.

Britain’s Dennis has secured two wins and nine podiums to date in the Porsche 99X Electric and starts as the favorite for the title in his home races.

Michael Steiner, a member of the executive board for research and development at Porsche AG, said: “With our entry into Formula E, we have opened a new chapter in all-electric motorsport.

“We remain convinced that our presence and successes in Formula E will lay the foundation for future mobility solutions. It provides the most competitive environment to accelerate the development of high-performance vehicles with a focus on environmental friendliness and energy efficiency.

“We look forward to playing an active role in shaping the successful future of Formula E and thereby giving electric mobility even more impetus on a global scale.”

Thomas Laudenbach, vice president of Porsche Motorsport, said: “We want to bring innovative technologies and more sustainability to motorsport and be at the forefront of new developments. Formula E plays a major role in this.

“The competition in this series is at an exceptionally high level and enables us to provide important impetus for future production models. With high-class and exciting races, it inspires people around the globe for electromobility. We will be happy to continue to contribute to this in the future.”

Founder and chairman of Formula E, Alejandro Agag, said: “Porsche has been a valued and influential team since joining Formula E and we are excited that this will continue.

“The championship is enabling Porsche to accelerate development of the innovative EV technologies we see in their road cars, while the team is an active member of the group driving development of the next generation of Formula E car to arrive in Season 13.”

Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, said: “Porsche’s commitment to racing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will undoubtedly maintain the quality of sporting competition and entertainment at the highest level in the coming seasons.

“Porsche’s presence on the grid racing against other iconic racing automakers is what makes Formula E the most competitive grid in motorsport.”

The 2023 Hankook London E-Prix double-header this weekend is the climax of Season 9 in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Dennis, driving for Avalanche Andretti Formula E team, has a 24-point advantage over Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) going into the season finale on home soil and a circuit where he has won twice.

Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) is 44 points back in third, while TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team driver Wehrlein is 49 points behind Dennis.

However, as the two previous races in Rome proved, anything can happen in Formula E and all four drivers at the top will be competing for the world title and a place on the podium.