HANKOOK DEBRIEF: Six things we learned in Misano

Formula E headed back to Italy for Rounds 6 and 7 of the Season 10 championship, but this time we were making memories in Misano!

The circuit located in the Adriatic coast proved to be a very different challenge for the drivers to tracks like Tokyo, as they had to battle energy management and be super aware of their surroundings in the battle to the top. 

Nissan’s Oliver Rowland claimed his first victory of the year after a post-race disqualification for TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa, and continued the statistic of six different winners for six different teams since the season opener in Mexico City.

However, Pascal Wehrlein of Porsche brought that impressive feat to an end when he became the first double winner of the year and is now tied at the top of the Drivers’ World Championship with Andretti’s Jake Dennis. 

Here are some of the biggest news stories and big talking points from our Italian adventure at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Porsche could have the powertrain advantage going forward

Speaking to the grid before the Misano E-Prix double-header, there was one powertrain manufacturer who was on everyone’s lips: TAG Heuer Porsche. We’ve seen over the course of GEN3 that their efficiency is incredibly strong and that was proved as they crossed the chequered flag at both races in first with their drivers Da Costa and Wehrlein. Unfortunately for Antonio Felix da Costa, his victory was taken away after the throttle damper spring on his car was not found in conformity with one of three optional declared items.

ANALYSIS: Karun explains Da Costa's Misano disqualification 

For Andretti, a Porsche customer team, Reigning World Champion Jake Dennis finished second in both races and showed that their pace and performance is not one to be underestimated. On these circuits, which feature longer straights and have become known for the ‘peloton-style’ racing, efficiency and strategy is key and it seems to be something Porsche have got locked down. 

With upcoming circuits like Shanghai and Portland lending themselves to a similar way of racing, it is looking like the Porsche powertrain could be a strong option for the rest of the season. Even Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy said he thought the team were in for a “really tough season ahead”, despite his third place finish in Sunday's race and his teammate Mitch Evans getting the Julius Baer Pole Position for Round 6. 

Porsche also now leads the Manufacturers' Trophy after Misano. 

Energy management is still everything 

It might seem like an obvious statement to make, but this weekend proved to be a perfect example of how important it is to manage your energy in Formula E. We had several examples up and down the grid of drivers and teams that got it both right and wrong, but none were more evident than Rowland and Nissan. 

The boy from Barnsley was in with a shot of doing the double and winning both races over the weekend, as he went into the final lap in the lead and ahead of Wehrlein. However, his remaining energy was showing as two percent down on the Porsche drivers and ultimately meant he ran out of juice on the last lap in dramatic scenes. Coming to a halt at the side of the circuit, the retirement meant he also ended his streak of four consecutive podium finishes. 

However, it wasn’t ignorance from Rowland that resulted in the disaster, it was in fact a blip in their system which he explained after the race. 

"It sounds like something was missed on the grid, and when I crossed the line at the start it counted down a lap, which it shouldn't, so I had one less lap the whole race,” Rowland stated after the race. 

"We raced well and we were super efficient when we were behind as well," he continued. “I know now I had one lap less but I would have had no problem making it to the end just sitting third, fourth or fifth when that was the target, but when we have targets on the dash and a plan to take the lead when we get to a certain point of the race and that's what I did, and it did feel a bit too good to be true at the time. It's just one of those things, we win and we lose as a team.”

Rowland on Formula E successes: "I'm still wondering if I am going to wake up"

It had stated on the broadcast that Rowland was two percent down on Wehrlein in the closing laps, and even the race winner himself was surprised at the pace Rowland was showing despite the energy disadvantage. 

Highs and lows over the double-header

We all love motorsport, but it can take the very best from hero to zero in a matter of moments. Misano was an intense example of how your weekend can flip on its head from one day to the next. 

One of the biggest storylines from the double-header was Antonio Felix da Costa and his brilliant win on Saturday to his disqualification being announced five hours after the chequered flag. Found not to have a throttle damper spring that was in conformity with one of three optional declared items, the win was stripped from the Season 6 champion and meant Rowland inherited the victory. Porsche explained that since the beginning of Season 9, they have not changed the Throttle Damper Spring in the car but this part was changed and had no influence over Pascal’s win the following day. 

It was a brutal setback for Da Costa, who has had a challenging start to the season and scored no points in the first three rounds. He had a better run of results in São Paulo with a sixth place and just missed out on a podium by finishing fourth in Tokyo. However, his name has been mentioned a lot in recent weeks after it was rumoured that Porsche had tested ABT CUPRA driver Nico Mueller in-season, an unusual testing opportunity. 

The win had silenced the doubters, and led to a plea from Antonio after the race to ask Porsche to please stick with him.

After a deleted lap time in qualifying, Da Costa was forced to start last the next day for Round 7. He would finish 17th after suffering more bad luck when his front wing snapped, caused his tyre to smoke and meant he needed to visit the pits. 

The same goes for the likes of Rowland who went from winning to losing the victory on the final lap the next day.

But, there were drivers whose fate changed overnight for the better. Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy went from not finishing Round 6 to a podium spot in Round 7, Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther inherited a home podium for the Maserati brand on the Saturday, but a five-second penalty for causing a collision with DS PENSKE’s Jean-Eric Vergne took him out of the points on Sunday – ending his streak of getting championship points in all races this year. 

NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes also went from starting at the back of the pack during Saturday’s race because of a post-qualifying penalty, to starting from the first grid slot on Sunday as he picked up his third Formula E pole position. 

Envision Racing’s double DNF

For the Reigning Teams World Champions Envision, it was a weekend to forget. They scored no points over the two races, with their drivers Robin Frijns and Sebastien Buemi both retiring from Round 7 for separate reasons. 

Frijns finished 17th in the first race, after pitting to fix a puncture he picked up in the latter stages of the race. For Buemi, he took the lead of the race early on and seemed to be in the fight, but during the final laps he struggled to balance his energy needs and would classify in 13th. 

The next day the team remained optimistic, hoping they could bounce back to score points. Things looked promising, as Frijns got into the Duels from Group A but would go up against speed machine Nico Mueller who won the Quarter Finals and meant the Dutchman started seventh. 

By Lap 6 of the race on Sunday, Frijns found himself sandwiched between Da Costa and NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird, and would end up with a broken front wing on the Envision and him becoming beached in a gravel trap. Buemi’s race didn’t get better either, with the Season 2 Formula E champion retiring with damage to the car.​​

Amazing results for ERT and ABT CUPRA

The Electric Racing Technology team – known as ERT – had two fantastic races in Formula E over the weekend. First up was a fourth place finish thanks to Dan Ticktum, who also recorded his best result from his time in the championship to date. 

INTERVIEW: Ticktum reflects on his best Formula E result to date

Thanks to a strategy masterclass, both he and his teammate Sergio Sette Camara – who provisionally finished seventh – managed to finish in the points and looked to be on for the team’s best result since Mexico City in 2018. Unfortunately, Sette Camara was handed a post-race drive-through penalty that was converted into a time penalty of 50 seconds for an overpower usage.

However, Sette Camara came back fighting and finished in sixth the following day, to give the team another eight points and placed them ninth in the Teams’ World Championship with 23 points. 

ABT CUPRA also had their best result in the GEN3 era, when Nico Mueller finished fourth in Sunday’s Misano E-Prix. Although it’s a huge achievement for the team, the moment was bittersweet as the Swiss driver looked set for a podium place until Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy passed him milliseconds before the finish line. 

Season 3 champ, Lucas di Grassi, also got his first points on the board the day prior when he finished 10th. 

“Congratulations to Nico, Lucas and the whole team – everyone did a fantastic job this weekend,” ​​Thomas Biermaier, ABT CEO and Team Principal said about the double-header.  “Of course, a trophy on Sunday would have been the cherry on the cake, but even so, everyone can be proud of this performance.

FEATURE: The major automotive manufacturers that formed Formula E's history

“We carried the experience of the previous day’s race perfectly into a different, more aggressive strategy and were rewarded with the best result since our comeback. This sense of achievement makes us even more optimistic for Monaco, where we want to pick up exactly where we left off.”

First points for Jehan Daruvala

Maserati MSG Racing’s Jehan Daruvala finally got some points on the board, as the rookie finished in ninth place for Sunday’s Misano E-Prix. Still getting to grips with the GEN3 machinery, Daruvala had had some very impressive performances in his short Formula E career so far but now can get some points to his name. He lined up on the grid in fifth for Round 3 in Diriyah, but couldn’t hold the position and eventually retired. 

In Misano, Daruvala started 21st on the grid but played a masterclass of strategy and kept his car clean to finish in 10th. He was promoted up to ninth after his teammate Guenther was handed a five-second penalty for causing a collision, and became the first Indian driver to score points in Formula E since Karun Chandhok in 2014. 

Talking of points, DS PENSKE’s Jean-Eric Vergne reached a new record-breaking milestone in Misano. Our very own two-time champ is now the proud owner of the most points in Formula E, passing the ABT CUPRA of Lucas di Grassi to go top of the table with 1047 points across his time in the all-electric championship. Congratulations, JEV!