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Wehrlein converts pole to Round 1 win in Mexico City E-Prix

Pascal Wehrlein Pascal Wehrlein - Formula E
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TAG Heuer Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein repeated the feat of two seasons prior, where he secured his and Porsche's first Formula E victory, as the German sealed another well-managed drive to the top step this time around in the opening round of Season 10 in Mexico City, leading home Envision Racing's Sebastien Buemi and Jaguar TCS Racing debutant Nick Cassidy.

Wehrlein is something of a Mexico master, having taken all four of his Formula E Julius Baer Pole Positions in the country, and the same can be said of Porsche powertrains - driving the winner in each of the last three Mexico City E-Prix.

The German, who was a title contender in GEN3's inaugural campaign, threw down the gauntlet with a controlled drive from lights out and pole to the chequered flag, only briefly losing the lead through ATTACK MODE and a spell under Full Course Yellow. He jumped off the line to a one-second lead come the end of the opening tour and managed things from there - holding Buemi at arms length, a couple of seconds back for the vast majority of the race.

RESULTS: The full 2024 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix classification

Envision Racing's Buemi followed the Porsche home to take second for the reigning Teams' World Champions, matching his Season 9 podium tally. Nick Cassidy, on debut in the factory Jaguar TCS Racing I-TYPE 6 after moving from Envision over the off-season, took third - making it by Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing) mid-way through the encounter. The latter took the chequered flag in fourth.

Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) seemed to be more on the back foot than the front. The Kiwi took the title fight to the wire in London in 2022/23 but out of the gate here, he was forced into a defensive drive to hold a charging Jean-Eric Vergne (DS PENSKE) back - the Frenchman having clambered through the order from 10th on the grid to become only the second driver after Lucas di Grassi (ABT CUPRA) to surpass 1,000 points in Formula E in the process.

STANDINGS: How the Drivers' and Teams' World Championships look after Mexico City

NEOM McLaren's Jake Hughes followed Vergne home in seventh, with Season 8 champion Stoffel Vandoorne eighth at the conclusion. Brit Jake Dennis in the Andretti made up ground to an eventual ninth and points from 14th at the start, after an uncharacteristic error in qualifying saw his title defense set off on the wrong foot. Dennis' new teammate Norman Nato rounded out the top 10.

All that leaves Wehrlein atop the Drivers' table at this early stage, with TAG Heuer Porsche heading the Teams' running.

Formula E returns in two weeks' time for a double-header of night races in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on 27 & 28 January.