2023-24 Formula E World Championship: Wehrlein's Title Season

Formula E's tenth campaign, run entirely during 2024, ended with Pascal Wehrlein crowned drivers' champion for Porsche. Jaguar TCS Racing took the teams' title and the inaugural Manufacturers' Cup, and the final race decided a title fight that changed hands several times.

What was the 2023-24 Formula E season?

The 2023-24 season, the tenth of the FIA's electric series, was contested with the Gen3 car on Hankook tyres. Wehrlein won the drivers' title by six points from Mitch Evans, and Jaguar won the teams' championship and the Manufacturers' Cup, with the title settled only in the last race.

Every team raced the Gen3 car, so energy management became the recurring theme of the year. Leaders often gave up track position to save energy, and the timing of attack mode activations decided who could move forward. Several races became packs of cars trading places, a style that later drew both praise and criticism.

A title fight that changed hands several times, settled by a final race that took one favourite out and crowned Wehrlein.

How did pre-season testing go?

Pre-season running at Valencia from 23 to 27 October 2023 was disrupted by a battery fire in the garage of battery supplier Williams Advanced Engineering. Jaguar topped all three sessions, while Mahindra cars parked beside the fire took heavy damage. Nyck de Vries lost the rest of his test, and his team got an extra private session.

Envision's Robin Frijns topped the traditional simulation race. Mitch Evans was fastest in the first two sessions and Nick Cassidy in the last, which pointed to Jaguar as the team to beat before the season opener in Mexico City.

Which teams and drivers changed before the season?

Several seats moved over the winter. Nio departed and became ERT Formula E Team after new investment, Sam Bird left Jaguar for McLaren and Nick Cassidy switched from Envision to Jaguar. Oliver Rowland went back to Nissan, while Nyck de Vries returned to Mahindra after a year away.

The bigger reshuffle came at the top of the mid-field. Robin Frijns' ABT CUPRA contract was terminated and he went back to Envision, while Lucas di Grassi returned to ABT CUPRA, where he had won the 2016-17 championship. Andre Lotterer left Andretti after six seasons, and Norman Nato, who had left Nissan after one year, took his seat. Edoardo Mortara ended six years at Maserati MSG Racing and joined Mahindra, with Jehan Daruvala taking his place at Maserati. Nyck de Vries, the 2020-21 series champion, replaced Roberto Merhi at Mahindra.

Mid-season absences added another layer. Sam Bird was injured in opening practice at Monaco, and McLaren reserve and development driver Taylor Barnard stepped in. Barnard had already run in rookie practice before Misano and became the youngest driver to start a Formula E race. Bird missed the Berlin double-header and returned from Shanghai onwards.

Berlin was disrupted by a clash with the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, a round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Both Envision drivers prioritised that event, so Joel Eriksson and Paul Aron took their seats. Jordan King deputised for de Vries, and Kelvin van der Linde replaced Nico Muller for ABT CUPRA. Later, at Portland, Oliver Rowland fell ill and Nissan's reserve, Caio Collet, made his series debut.

How did the calendar change?

Cape Town, Jakarta and Rome did not run in 2024, while Tokyo and Shanghai joined. Misano took the place of Rome, and Portland hosted two races after one in 2023. Hyderabad was cancelled after a change in governance, and a Jakarta reschedule was discussed before being rejected.

Tokyo was Formula E's debut in Japan and the first time the world championship had visited the city. Shanghai was the first China race since the Sanya E-Prix of 2018-19. Misano opened the European leg and proved the most energy-critical round yet, with pack racing at new heights.

What was the Manufacturers' Cup?

The Manufacturers' Cup was added ahead of the Sao Paulo round, with standings backdated to the start of the season. The two highest-placed cars from each powertrain manufacturer scored points for their maker in each race, using the same points system as the drivers' and teams' titles. Jaguar won it.

Jaguar took the inaugural Cup as well as the teams' title, so one brand held both crowns in the first season of the new award. The scoring also meant a manufacturer could collect points from its two best cars in every race, which gave the Cup a separate race-by-race tally from the other championships.

How did the opening rounds unfold?

Wehrlein won the season opener in Mexico City after a safety car for Robin Frijns, and the first Diriyah race went to Jake Dennis ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne. Nick Cassidy won the second Diriyah race and moved into the championship lead, 18 points ahead of Wehrlein.

At Mexico City, Wehrlein took pole and held the lead through his attack mode activations. A safety car came out after Frijns hit the wall at turn 18, and Wehrlein took back the lead after the restart. He was investigated over throttle maps that raised traction control concerns, but was cleared to keep the win.

The Diriyah double-header opened with Vergne on pole. Dennis worked his way through the attack mode rounds, and by the flag he led by 13 seconds. Wehrlein finished eighth, leaving Dennis a single point behind him in the standings. Rowland, on pole for the second race, was passed by Frijns and then by Cassidy, who took the lead from Frijns and controlled the second half to win. That result put Cassidy 18 points ahead of Wehrlein.

Sao Paulo produced McLaren's first Formula E win. Bird passed Evans on the final lap, while Evans was managing a battery issue. Cassidy crashed into the wall after his damaged front wing lodged under the car, cutting his lead to three points.

Tokyo marked Formula E's debut in Japan, and Rowland started on pole for Nissan's home race. Maximilian Gunther of Maserati took the lead ten laps from the end and held it, while Wehrlein finished fifth and Cassidy eighth. Those results gave Wehrlein a two-point lead in the standings.

What happened at Misano and Monaco?

Misano was the most energy-critical round of the year. Da Costa crossed the line first in race one but was disqualified afterwards, and Wehrlein won race two while Rowland's car ran out of energy. Monaco then gave Jaguar a 1-2 with Evans on top, leaving Cassidy second in the standings.

Misano opened the European leg. The lead changed almost every lap in race one, with half the field leading at some stage. Multiple contacts forced both championship leaders to pit for new front wings. Da Costa was leading six laps from the end, and he crossed the line first with Dennis third. He was then disqualified for a one-minute infringement involving his throttle damper springs. Porsche protested, the FIA rejected the appeal in late June, and Rowland took the lead of the standings.

The second Misano race was shorter, so energy saving mattered less. Hughes started from pole, but Wehrlein was in the lead group from the start. Rowland climbed to second at half distance and moved ahead five laps from the end, only to run out of energy on the final lap. Wehrlein won ahead of Dennis, with Cassidy third, and Rowland finished 17th. Wehrlein regained the championship lead, with Dennis tying his points total.

At Monaco, Wehrlein took pole but dropped to fourth after his first attack mode. A safety car followed Mortara hitting the wall, and Vandoorne then used his second attack mode to drop behind both Jaguars. The pair controlled the race, with Cassidy opening a gap so Evans could take both attack modes, and Evans returning the favour. Evans won, Cassidy finished second and Vandoorne third. Wehrlein came fifth to protect his lead, and Cassidy moved back into second in the standings, seven points behind.

How did Berlin and Shanghai shape the title race?

Cassidy won the first Berlin race from ninth and moved nine points clear of Wehrlein. Da Costa took the second Berlin race, while Evans won the first Shanghai race ahead of Wehrlein, cutting Cassidy's lead to 13 points. In the second Shanghai race da Costa won again and Cassidy's lead grew to 25 points.

Mortara started from pole for the first Berlin race, but his lead lasted only two laps before he used his attack mode. After a safety car, Vergne led the field ahead of Wehrlein, Vandoorne and Mortara, until Evans moved from fourth into the lead. Cassidy, who had started ninth and spent most of the race conserving energy in the pack, swept past Vergne for the lead four laps from the end. He won, Evans dropped to fourth behind Rowland, and Wehrlein came fifth.

The second Berlin race began with Dennis on pole ahead of Cassidy and Norman Nato. Cassidy took the lead on the first lap, but a safety car bunched the field again, and da Costa took over at the halfway point before winning with an assured margin. Wehrlein had a rough race and finished fourth, making contact with Dennis several times, which left Cassidy 16 points clear.

Shanghai's first race was won by Evans, who passed Wehrlein on the final lap after the two Porsches had worked together for much of the race. Cassidy, who had again saved energy from the back of the pack, climbed to third. In race two Hughes took pole by one thousandth of a second, but da Costa won after Wehrlein made contact with Bird and suffered a puncture on lap 12. Shanghai left Cassidy with a 25-point cushion.

Who decided the title at Portland and London?

Portland was the penultimate weekend, and Cassidy spun on the penultimate lap of the first race and was caught in a three-car collision in the second. London hosted the last two races, and the final one decided the championship when Cassidy was hit by da Costa and punctured.

Portland's first race went to da Costa, with Frijns and Vergne behind him. Evans had forced Hughes off the road, earning a five-second penalty that dropped him to eighth. Wehrlein finished tenth. Vergne started the second race from pole, which made him the driver with the most pole positions in series history, but da Costa took the lead at the start and won his third race in a row. Wehrlein's front wing flew off after contact with Mortara and hit Bird, ending Bird's race. Cassidy was caught in a three-car collision and pitted, and Evans took third from Wehrlein late on.

The penultimate London race started with Evans on pole, and he led through a tumultuous opening. Frijns crashed into the wall and took Bird out, which brought the safety car. Cassidy recovered from 15th to seventh after two battles that damaged his steering, and Wehrlein made a decisive pass on Evans to take control. Gunther's gearbox issue handed Buemi a podium, and Wehrlein went into the final race seven points ahead.

For the final race Cassidy took pole despite missing the last practice session with a brake issue. Evans moved into second, while Wehrlein passed Gunther for third on lap 6 and closed up. Evans covered Cassidy's first attack mode, but on his second Cassidy dropped behind Evans and Wehrlein, and da Costa hit him, leaving him with a puncture and out of the title fight. A safety car for debris then put Rowland into the lead. On the restart Evans failed his second attack mode activation, and Wehrlein passed him into second to win the title, six points ahead of Evans.

Who were the key drivers?

Wehrlein took the title, Evans finished six points behind him, and Cassidy was in front for much of the middle of the season before a collision ended his chance in the final race. The table summarises the decisive moments for the four drivers who shaped the title fight.

How was the season received?

The title fight stayed close to the end, but opinion on the rest of the season was mixed. The on-track product was seen as unique and well-liked, while complex steward decisions confused fans and media. Opinion was therefore split.

Porsche's form lasted into the latter part of the year after falling away in earlier seasons, and that consistency gave Wehrlein his title. Cassidy looked the strongest contender until the penultimate weekend. His exit from the final race came from a collision he did not cause, the second year running that such an incident had cost him a title chance.

The extreme peloton-style racing drew criticism from drivers, and the Misano appeal took until late June to settle. Viewing figures also declined as the UK market, a key audience for the series, moved behind a paywall.