Pascal Wehrlein is a two-time Formula E World Champion after coming through a season finale of barely believable drama at London’s ExCeL on Sunday, a race won in style by DS PENSKE’s Taylor Barnard.
At 22 years and 76 days old, Barnard becomes the youngest race winner in Formula E history, beating the Mahindra pair of Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara to a maiden victory that came, fittingly, in DS Automobiles’ final appearance in the series.
There was silverware for Britain too. Mitch Evans’ fourth place was enough for Jaguar TCS Racing to defend its Teams’ World Championship, finishing just ahead of Porsche in the standings after the German marque had wrapped up the Manufacturers’ title in Tokyo earlier in the season.
Wehrlein arrived at Round 17 in control after winning Saturday’s opening race at the ExCeL, but the title was anything but a formality, with Evans and Andretti’s Jake Dennis piling on the pressure and the standings shifting repeatedly through the race.
The squeeze began on Lap 27, when Wehrlein’s engineer told him to wave through a faster Sebastien Buemi in the Envision Racing car. Moments later a squeeze from Antonio Felix da Costa let Dennis through into eighth during his first ATTACK MODE, and with Wehrlein down in 12th, the Briton briefly sat on top of the virtual standings.
Then came the pivotal moment. Contact between Wehrlein and Envision’s Joel Eriksson at Turn 16 on Lap 31 shuffled the Porsche further down the order, but the same incident left Dennis with race-ending damage, and with it went his title hopes.
Evans still had a mathematical shout, needing victory to snatch the crown. But with Barnard and the two Mahindras pulling clear at the front, fourth was as good as it got for the Kiwi, and Wehrlein’s second championship was secure.
Barnard writes his name into the record books
Up front, Barnard timed his late ATTACK MODE to perfection to clear Mortara for second, then produced a nailbiting lunge up the inside of de Vries into the final corner with two laps remaining to seal a landmark win in front of a home crowd.
“That’s the first time I’ve cried for a long time,” said Barnard. “To be the youngest race winner feels amazing and to do it in front of the home crowd, it feels unbelievable. That was the shakiest last lap I think I’m ever gonna have in my career.”
Wehrlein was in bullish mood. “What we did this weekend was outstanding again, delivered when we had to deliver, under pressure,” he said. “You don’t crack under the pressure – we love the pressure, we embrace it, and we get even better with pressure. Tonight, we will celebrate and enjoy this moment, and then reset; work on the GEN4 car and make it even harder for them next year.”
That GEN4 machine, Porsche’s new 975 RSE, will not be defending the title in Docklands, with the ExCeL bowing out as the London E-Prix moves to Brands Hatch for next season.
The championship signed off in celebrity style, with Emily in Paris stars Lucien Laviscount and Lucas Bravo, F1 World Champion Damon Hill, boxer Viddal Riley, MMA legend Alistair Overeem and Bel-Air actor Jimmy Akingbola all trackside. DJ Isan Elba played a live set, while rapper AJ Tracey and DJ Josh Baker performed on the grid before the race.
