TAG Heuer Porsche driver sets the pace in Season 10 opener to establish early championship lead.

Pascal Wehrlein drew first blood in the fight for glory in the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Mexico City today (13 January), delivering a commanding performance to win the curtain-raising contest in front of an enthusiastic, sell-out 40,000-strong crowd.

Wehrlein is something of a master in Mexico, having dominated from pole position there in 2022 and similarly challenged for victory in 2019 and 2023. The TAG Heuer Porsche driver secured pole once again as Season 10 got underway at the iconic Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez – and then proceeded to control the E-Prix for a fifth career triumph in the all-electric single-seater series, describing every lap as ‘more-or-less’ a qualifying effort.

The only time Wehrlein did not lead was when he deployed his two Attack Mode activations – conceding the advantage to Envision Racing’s Sébastien Buemi on both occasions – but a minor mistake from the Swiss star on lap 25 gifted the German a 2.3-second gap, and from thereon in, the result was never really in doubt.

Buemi maintained his own impressive Mexico record by securing the runner-up spoils, having been Wehrlein’s closest competitor throughout. The 2014/15 champion came under some late pressure from Nick Cassidy, who celebrated his debut for Jaguar TCS Racing with a podium finish, grabbing a bonus point for posting the race’s fastest lap on the penultimate tour.

Along the way, the New Zealander overhauled Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Günther, with the German the tail-ender in the leading quartet on his way to fourth at the chequered flag – but in the closing stages, all eyes were on the breathless multi-car battle behind.

Having initially kept pace with Jaguar stablemate Cassidy, Mitch Evans fell back significantly as the race progressed. The 29-year-old found his mirrors increasingly filled by a phalanx of cars – led by DS Penske’s double champion, Jean-Éric Vergne – but held firm to claim fifth position, albeit more than seven seconds adrift of Günther.

Coming on particularly strong in the later laps, Vergne wound up sixth – a four-place improvement upon his starting slot – ahead of NEOM McLaren Formula E Team’s Jake Hughes, Season 8 title-winner Stoffel Vandoorne (DS Penske) and defending champion Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E).

The Briton was unable to reproduce his imperious Mexico display from 12 months earlier, but nonetheless fought his way up the order from a lowly 14th on the grid. He was followed across the finish line by team-mate Norman Nato, who snuck the final point on offer in tenth.

The 2023/24 Formula E campaign continues with a double-header in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on 26-27 January.