Discover more
We always knew London would be an intense finale double-header, but it certainly delivered plenty of talking points as we crowned our new World Champions for Season 10. From outrageous overtakes, best results of the season and home race heroes, here is what we learned from London.
Crowning a new World Champion
Going into the final two races over the weekend, it seemed very likely that we would have a new champion again; the ninth new winner in 10 seasons. Although seven drivers were mathematically in with a chance, including former champions Jake Dennis, Jean-Eric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa, the top three were the favourites.
TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein and Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy had all fought for championships before, but none of them had walked away with a Formula E Drivers’ title. However, that changed on Sunday, when Pascal Wehrlein managed to cross the chequered flag and become the last champ of the GEN3 era.
Navigating a tense weekend of racing, Wehrlein secured an important victory on the Saturday and then kept himself out of trouble in the final round to earn his first FIA World Championship. The Porsche driver had delivered a consistent campaign over the year, with three wins and three Julius Baer Pole Positions to his name, but was on another level in London.
"The grandstands were full and you get the noise in the car from the fans – it’s an awesome feeling, and it was when I crossed the line. I was full of emotions," Wehrlein said after finishing first in the standings.
"I love hearing the team screaming over the radio, hammering tables, crying and clapping – it’s a very special moment in the car. I get that feeling every time in a good qualifying or a race but obviously, today the volume was just that bit higher than usual.
"It was a relief crossing the line because I don’t let the pressure get to me because I always put the most pressure on myself," added the 29-year-old.
"Every day, every morning, every evening and every time training I believed in this – I told myself, ‘you can do this’. We executed it perfectly here from the first time we hit the track and were as strong as we’ve ever been – stronger."
Jaguar’s heartbreak at home
Wehrlein also benefited from troubles at Jaguar. Cassidy had a challenging race on the Saturday, finishing seventh and losing his championship lead to the Porsche pilot, but bounced back the next day despite a brake-by-wire issues in practice to put it on pole – his first of the season.
Yet, strategy played a big part of the race, with Cassidy taking his ATTACK MODE activations earlier than teammate Evans who was placed in second. Cracks then began to show with Evans claiming "gloves off" and Cassidy vocally unhappy at slipping back behind both his teammate and Wehrlein.
From there, Cassidy fell back and was passed by eventual-race winner Oliver Rowland (Nissan) and landed in the lap of Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther. But, the end of his championship hopes came when he made contact at the final turn with Porsche's da Costa which gave the Jaguar driver a puncture. The two spoke after the race, and even confessed that they “cried together” after the season ended in such a way.
For Evans, it was clear he wasn’t happy with the calls that were being made during the final race and would ultimately finish in third. Having troubles with his energy, and Wehrlein being almost three percent up at times, his chances of winning the championship slipped from his grasp when Rowland took the lead, and Evans’ second ATTACK MODE failed to activate which meant he needed to lose position to take it again.
Although the Drivers’ title didn’t go to Jaguar, they can hold their head high and be proud of their other achievements on track. The British team won both the Teams’ World Championship and the newly-introduced Manufacturers’ trophy for Season 10, with this being Jaguar’s first World Championship win since 1991.
“This is a truly historic moment for Jaguar TCS Racing, the Jaguar brand and everyone who has played a part in this success,” Team Principal James Barclay said after the season was wrapped. “This World Championship belongs to the team, drivers, our partners, the fans and JLR colleagues around the world.
“Jaguar has a rich racing history, and when we started our Formula E programme back in 2016 we were determined to add to that legacy. To win the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E Teams’ World Championship – the pinnacle of electric racing – is a fitting reward for everyone’s hard work and winning mindset. I feel for both Mitch and Nick – coming so close to the Drivers’ crown is tough for both of them – but they have driven incredibly well all year and I know they will be fighting for the title again next year.”
Rowland’s redemption in London
Nissan’s Oliver Rowland was added to the long list of British drivers that have won home soil. He joins the likes of Dennis who has won at the ExCel twice, Mahindra Racing’s Alex Lynn and NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird to win in London.
Having missed out on Portland due to illness, and accepting his chances at the Drivers’ championship were done, Rowland was understandably elated at the chance to take the final win of the season. Celebrating with the British fans and his Nissan team, Rowland also brought his daughter up onto the podium in wholesome scenes.
This was Rowland’s second win of the season, but his first where he achieved the result on track, after he inherited the victory in Misano due to Antonio Felix da Costa’s disqualification. The Japanese national anthem played out for Nissan, and ended a brilliant season for Rowland with two victories, seven podiums and two pole positions to finish the year fourth in the Drivers’ Standings.
"The perfect end to a fantastic season,” Rowland said after the race, “I never expected to win. I got a great start and picked my moments in a crazy race. Once I got to fourth, I didn't want to get too involved in the title fight, so I waited and hoped for something to happen, which it eventually did and I managed to pick up the pieces to win the race.
“We should be very proud of our season, the target was to build as a team and we've achieved a lot. We've been consistently competitive and it gives us a great platform for next year. Thanks to the whole crew for their work and looking forward to being back!"
Magic for Mahindra
One of the biggest stories from the weekend was the brilliant result for Mahindra Racing on Saturday, for Round 15 of the all-electric championship. Not only was it their first double-points finish of the year, but it was also a great haul of 22 points thanks to the efforts of Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara.
De Vries got his best result since he made his Formula E comeback at the start of Season 10 when he finished fourth, with Mortara just behind him in fifth. At the time, it promoted them up a place in the Teams’ standings, but a stellar job from Nico Mueller and customer team ABT CUPRA on the Sunday meant that Mahindra finished 10th in the end of season table.
“It was a chaotic race, the key was staying out of trouble, executing the strategy well and making the right calls and the right time,” the Season 7 champion said after just missing out on a podium in London. “We were competitive, up on energy compared to some of the cars in front and we had good pace. It’s a great result for the team.”
Frederic Bertrand, Mahindra Racing CEO and Team Principal, also added: “In many ways, this was the perfect result for us. We executed a fantastic strategy, and the teamwork from both our drivers to help each other move up the pack was great to see.”
It comes as Mahindra have made big steps forward towards the end of the season, after a challenging start to the year. De Vries led part of the race and scored his first points of the season in Shanghai, with Mortara just missing out on a podium in Portland last time out. Now, with this double points score and fourth and fifth place result, the team will be hoping to continue that momentum into the summer break before we hit the track again for pre-season testing in November when we welcome the GEN3 Evo era.
Silly season begins now
As expected, there were quite a few driver announcements around the final weekend in London. First to set things going was ABT CUPRA’s Nico Mueller, who confirmed he was departing the team for Season 11. The Swiss driver has been with the team for the last two years of Formula E, and has been one of the best talents on the grid all year. His next step has yet to be confirmed, although there are plenty of rumours in the paddock.
DS PENSKE’s Stoffel Vandoorne also took to social media to state that London would be his last weekend at the team. Team Boss Jay Penske also confirmed the news in a press release shared after the weekend had concluded, offering a “huge amount of thanks and appreciation to Stoffel who will be leaving the organisation”.
There is plenty of speculation, and now the season is complete with contracts expiring, you can expect some more announcements over the coming days and weeks as we start to build our grid for the 2024/25 season.