The Formula E debut at Misano, Italy, delivered a weekend of exhilarating races, with Nissan’s Oliver Rowland claiming victory on Saturday and Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein dominating on Sunday. Despite Porsche’s initial success on Saturday, Antonio Felix da Costa’s disqualification handed the win to Rowland, who showcased impressive form throughout the race.
Formula E’s decision to move from Rome to the permanent Misano racetrack for 2024 presented new challenges. The faster, albeit shortened, circuit required meticulous energy management from drivers, with the race dynamics shifting significantly between the energy-saving phase and the final sprint. Minor collisions marred Saturday’s race, affecting championship contenders Wehrlein, Nick Cassidy, and Sam Bird.
Wehrlein’s teammate, Felix Antonio da Costa, initially claimed victory on Saturday but was later disqualified due to a technical infringement, promoting Rowland to the top spot. Porsche’s decision to appeal the disqualification keeps the result provisional.
Sunday’s race saw Rowland leading until the final lap, with Wehrlein in close pursuit. Despite appearing to have sufficient energy to finish, a technical issue caused Rowland’s Nissan to stop just meters from the finish line, handing Wehrlein an unexpected victory and the championship lead.
Wehrlein’s win on Sunday, coupled with his strong performance on Saturday, sees him tied on points with world champion Jake Dennis. However, with two wins this season compared to Dennis’s one, Wehrlein sits atop the championship standings. Rowland’s misfortune on Sunday drops him to third in the standings, with Cassidy in fourth.
In the team standings, Jaguar leads with 128 points, followed by Andretti-Porsche and the Porsche works team. Nissan sits in fourth, with the potential for changes pending Porsche’s decision on the Saturday race’s disqualification.
The weekend’s events at Misano set the stage for an exciting Formula E season, highlighting the series’ unpredictability and the fierce competition among drivers and teams.
