Pascal Wehrlein executed a masterclass Pit Boost strategy to claim Formula E Jeddah E-Prix Race 1 victory, his 100th start in the series propelling him into the championship lead.
The Porsche driver delivered a flawless race, overcoming early chaos to pull away decisively, finishing over 2.5 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Edoardo Mortara and underlining his status as a title favorite just weeks into the 2025-26 season.
The thrilling opener to the Saudi Arabian double-header showcased the evolving dynamics of Formula E, particularly with the introduction of Pit Boost and a single Attack Mode, testing drivers’ strategic acumen and energy management like never before.
Race day brought sweltering conditions and a delayed start due to technical checks, heightening the tension as the field lined up on the grid.
When the lights finally went out, DS Penske’s Maximilian Guenther made a lightning-quick launch from second to seize the lead, squeezing ahead of Mortara’s Mahindra into Turn 1 amid chaotic early duels that saw Wehrlein hold third firmly.
Nissan’s Norman Nato capitalized on the shuffle to climb into second, while Mitch Evans wasted no time slicing through the midfield from his 10th-place start, showcasing Jaguar’s straight-line speed on the Corniche’s long straights.
The opening laps were frenetic, with Guenther leading laps 1 through 4, building a small energy advantage before Nato took over at the front from lap 5 to 14, pulling away slightly as the pack conserved for the mandatory Pit Boost and a single Attack Mode activation.
By lap 7, the top five—Guenther, Nato, Wehrlein, Mortara, and Felix da Costa—mirrored each other at around 85% battery, delaying Attack Mode deployments to maintain track position.
However, tensions escalated when Lola Yamaha ABT’s Zane Maloney crashed into Cupra Kiro’s Pepe Marti at Turn 7 while battling Citroën’s Jean-Eric Vergne, sustaining left-front suspension damage that forced Maloney out on the spot—the race’s sole retirement.
This prompted a full course yellow followed by a one-lap safety car, bunching the field and extending the race to 32 laps, which neutralized gaps but allowed strategic minds like Porsche’s to recalibrate.
Post-restart, Pascal Wehrlein began his charge, inheriting the lead briefly on lap 15 before Guenther and Evans traded it momentarily amid black-and-white flag warnings for on-brake moves.
The pivotal moment arrived around laps 18-20 as teams dove into pits for the mandatory Pit Boost fast charge, with Porsche timing Wehrlein’s stop to perfection on Lap 19, pulling out with a crucial undercut.
The rest of the grid came into the pits on Lap 20 including Mortara, vaulting Wehrlein into the overall lead of the race and cruised all the way to a dominant Jeddah E-Prix Race 1 victory.
Mortara slotted into second, while Evans’ aggressive early pace paid dividends in third after activating Attack Mode late to preserve energy.
Porsche’s Mueller capitalized on his teammate’s lead to secure fourth as Jaguar’s Felix da Costa followed suit holding fifth with consistent sector times.
Midfield fireworks defined the pack’s progression, with Cassidy’s trademark recovery drive lifting him from 13th to sixth, overtaking Envision’s Sebastien Buemi and Vergne through sharp Attack Mode usage and tire-equivalent grip on the Gen4 cars.
Buemi nursed his Envision machine to seventh as Vergne clawed to eighth, his late Pit Boost exit compromised by traffic but salvaged by superior out-lap pace.
Andretti’s Jake Dennis briefly threatened the podium via an early pit undercut but faded to ninth as clean air drained his energy, a recurring theme echoed in DS Penske’s Taylor Barnard’s 10th-place finish after similar aggressive timing.
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