Wehrlein prevailed over Dennis in the first of the Diriyah races

Porsche Team’s German driver, Pascal Wehrlein, won the first of two Diriyah E-Prix races in Saudi Arabia after eight positions back to dominate Formula E leader Jake Dennis, on Friday after being beaten by the British. at the beginning of the Mexican season.

Wehrlein, a former Formula One driver, beat Dennis of the Avalanche Andretti team, with a Porsche engine, by 0.531 after a close battle under the floodlights of Diriyah, with British Sam Bird third with Jaguar in 3″526.

Wehrlein started ninth but worked his way through the field to take the lead from Bird on lap 30 of 39, with Dennis following four laps later after starting 11th on the grid. The victory was the German’s second in the electric series in his 50th participation.

Dennis won, with Wehrlein second, the first race of the ‘Gen3’ era of the electric world championship on January 14, but the Briton retained the overall lead by one point thanks to his fastest lap in Mexico City.

The overwhelming dominance of single-seaters powered by Porsche That leaves Dennis with 44 points, Wehrlein with 43 and Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi, who started Friday’s race on pole but finished fourth, third overall with 23 points.

McLaren’s René Rast, who completed the top-5, earned extra points for the fastest lap at Diriyah. This Saturday the second of the races will be held on Saudi territory.

classifications

Diriyah E-Prix, race 1

1. Pascal Wehrlein (Germany/Porsche Team) 39 47’45.567
2. Jake Dennis (GB/Andretti Autosport) at 0.531
3. Sam Bird (GB/Jaguar Racing) on ​​3,526
4. Sebastien Buemi (Sui/Virgin Racing) at 6,048
5. Rast United (Germany/McLaren F1) at 7,471
6. Nick Cassidy (NZ/Virgin Racing) on ​​7,614
General Formula-E
1. Jake Dennis (GB/Andretti Autosport) 44 points
2. Pascal Wehrlein (Germany/Porsche Team) 43
3. Sebastien Buemi (Sui/Virgin Racing) 23