Wehrlein wins the Formula E Miami E-Prix after crash unplugs teammate Da Costa
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship's return to Miami Saturday for the first time since 2015 fell right into Miami's 2025 Racing Spring rhythm — dominant driver looking at a victory crafted to the perfection of a Mission: Impossible plan ends the day crushed when someone else's boo-boo collapses the plan.
So were the three races danced during March's NASCAR weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. And, so twerked Saturday's Miami E-Prix at Homestead, which fell to Tag Heuer Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein.
When it all shook out — and rarely has that old phrase been more appropriate —Wehrlein took first (but wasn't first under the checkered flag); Lucas di Grassi scored a stunning second for Lola Yamaha ABT, in just its fifth race with the Lola partnership; and Antonio Felix Da Costa stood on the podium in third, happy to be on the podium, disconsolate he wasn't standing in the middle where his Porsche teammate stood.
Wehrlein, who said Miami was his favorite U.S. city, acknowledged racing luck that moved an apparent win to his part of the Tag Heuer Porsche garage from Da Costa's.
'It was great, though it was a bit of a lucky win,' said Wehrlein, the 2024 Formula E series champion. 'I thought on the podium a top five was possible. But, I think we've had enough bad luck this season that we can be lucky for once.'
With six laps left, Da Costa led with Wehrlein second, but had it all over his teammate. No contender had more power left in his engine (Formula E cars regenerate power during braking). And, Da Costa had just kicked in his Attack Mode, which turns the car from a 300 kilowatt racer to a 350 kilowatt,four-wheel drive racer. The eight minutes of Attack Mode must be used in two four-minute spurts or a six-minute and a two-minute spurt.
Da Costa decided to use six minutes. By the time he ran out of Attack Mode, there would be just over a lap left and he likely would just have to worry about bringing the car home safely for the win.
But, way in the back of the field, Jake Hughes didn't make it through the perilous Turn 10 and 11 chicane. Max Gunther punted Hughes, and Mitch Evans got into Gunther's rear end. The cleanup brought out the safety car for a couple of laps, then a red flag.
This poured Da Costa's Attack Mode down the drain. He would have none left for the restart with four laps left. His teammate and several others jumped him and left him powerless to fight it.
'Positives, there are many,' Da Costa said. 'We were second in both practices, we qualified third. We did the perfect race. We were up on energy on everybody by a bit. So, I'm just sad at the ultimate result.'
The reverse problem hit those who had saved their Attack Mode for late race use. Rules say you must use all your attack mode, but for those with eight minutes left, four laps wasn't enough to exhause the Attack Mode.
That's why Wehrlein won though he wasn't first under the checkered flag. That would be Norman Nato of Nissan, who got his first points of the year for winning the pole in the final qualifying duel with Andretti Motorsport's Jake Dennis. But Nato, like many drivers, didn't use all his Attack Mode.
Nato slipped past Wehrlein coming off the last corner on the Homestead road course with Wehrlein pushing to stay in front, but knowing he lacked the traction and power. Also, his team told him over the radio, basically, don't do anything stupid, Nato is going to be penalized for not using all his Attack Mode.
Nato wound up sixth after the penalty. Nissan teammate Oliver Rowland, the championship leader, also was one of the many dinged for Attack Mode violation and got moved down to 11th.
Rarely will you see a driver happier to finish second than 2017 Formula E champion di Grassi, who hadn't been on a podium since the 2023 season opener.
'It's a very special podium for many reasons,' di Grassi said. 'We hadn't been in a competitive car for the last three seasons. It's rough to keep the motivation up, knowing, sometimes, you don't have the most competitive car. But you try to keep your head down and do the work the best I can.
'On the other hand, it was a very important point for the team,' he continued. 'This is only the fifth race for the team. We were very competitive in practice, in qualifying and in the race, apart from Antonio, me and Pascal, the difference in energy wasn't that great.'
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