How Porsche won, lost and won in Misano Formula E mayhem

Porsche's weekend of highs and lows was a microcosm of Formula E's eventful first visit to Misano. Nissan driver Oliver Rowland was the beneficiary when Antonio Felix da Costa was controversially excluded from victory in the opening Misano race, before Rowland's final lap energy strife in race two allowed Pascal Wehrlein to become the year's first two-time winner

Stefan Mackley Apr 15, 2024, 3:03 PM

The picturesque rolling hills and tranquil seaside resort atmosphere in which the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is located could not have conflicted more with the chaotic on-track action that Formula E provided on its first visit to the region. A post-race disqualification for the opening race winner five hours after the chequered flag, another driver losing a seemingly certain win on the final lap in the sequel and a frenetic, even manic, style of racing that divided opinion – the Misano E-Prix double-header had it all.

After seven races and approaching the halfway point of the campaign, Pascal Wehrlein became the first driver this season to claim two victories and with it, just hold onto the lead of the championship standings on countback. But the Porsche driver’s outright success in the second of the weekend’s two races had looked incredibly unlikely as the contest entered the 26th and final lap, with Wehrlein some 1.4 seconds behind race leader Oliver Rowland.

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Author Stefan Mackley

A proud Yorkshireman, Stefan Mackley is Autosport's National Deputy Editor. Having graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a degree in sports journalism he spent nearly four years working on local newspapers in Wiltshire - during which time he became an NQJ-qualified journalist and cut his teeth covering club racing at Castle Combe in his spare time.

Making the jump into motorsport journalism full-time, he joined the national desk for both Autosport magazine and Motorsport News in 2017 before becoming National Deputy Editor for the former in 2020.

His passion for motorsport stems from watching Formula 1 as a child with his father and is matched only by his love for Star Wars.

A better journalist than racing driver, he has so far competed in the Citroen C1 24 Hours and 116 Trophy with hopes of racing more machinery in 2021 and beyond.