The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is well prepared for the new season. With the Weissach-developed Porsche 99X Electric Gen3, the squad took part in the official pre-season Formula E tests at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia. It was a successful final shakedown before the start of the season on 14 January in Mexico.
At the 3.376-kilometre circuit on the southeast coast of Spain, the team put the final touches on the Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 for season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. At the tests spread over four days, Pascal Wehrlein (GER) covered 955 kilometres. His new teammate António Félix da Costa (POR), the 2019/2020 Formula E champion, completed 871 kilometres.
Fielding the new third-generation cars, the opening race in Mexico heralds a turning point for the world’s first electric racing series. All eleven Formula E teams were represented in Valencia with their main drivers and new cars.
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “Four tough test days are now behind us. We worked through our programme as planned. All in all, it was a positive final test and we’re now heading to Mexico feeling well-prepared for the start of the season. After the first qualifying session in Mexico, we’ll know where we ultimately stand compared to our rivals. The team has worked hard and deserves a break after a busy year. We’ll take a breather over the holidays and then be back in full force in Mexico.”
Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 #94): “We faced some challenges in Valencia, which is normal when you compete with a completely new car. These tests are there to discover what is working well and what still needs to improve. I was surprised at how reliable the Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 is already and I’m excited for the start of the season in Mexico. We’re well prepared.”
António Félix da Costa (Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 #13): “The test days in Valencia were very productive. We have a new car with less weight and more power – you can’t ask for better than that. The Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 is great fun. I like this process of working with a new car and discovering what works in terms of setup and where we might make some tweaks. I’m happy to contribute my experience to this task and support the team.”
Porsche contests season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with the Porsche 99X Electric Gen3. The new electric racing car featuring the Porsche E-Performance Powertrain – which was developed in Weissach for the third generation vehicle in the innovative electric racing series – also serves as a development platform for the sports car manufacturer’s fully-electric production models. Energy management and efficiency are important factors for success in Formula E and Porsche’s all-electric production cars. The maximum output of the Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 is 350 kW (476 PS), which is 100 kW more than the predecessor generation (Gen2). At least 40 percent of the energy used is recuperated via regenerative braking. The new Gen3 cars are the fastest, lightest, most powerful and most efficient electric racing cars ever built.