WEHRLEIN AND DI GRASSI SHARE THE SPOTLIGHT IN DRAMATIC SHANGHAI E-PRIX
The 2026 Shanghai E-Prix weekend delivered two very different races, with Pascal Wehrlein and Lucas Di Grassi taking the victories in a weekend affected by rain, changing track conditions, and unpredictable strategies.
The opening free practice sessions were heavily influenced by weather conditions. In FP1, Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein adapted best to the wet track and set the fastest time with a 1:09.259, finishing ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne and teammate Nico Müller. Many teams struggled to complete their planned programmes because of the rain, which forced several drivers to remain in the pits.
In FP2, Mahindra’s Edoardo Mortara showed strong pace by topping the final practice session before qualifying. The championship contender set a 1:09.21 lap and finished ahead of Jaguar’s Antonio Felix da Costa and Jake Dennis.
Qualifying for Race 1 saw Wehrlein continue his strong form. The Porsche driver secured pole position after defeating championship rival Mitch Evans in the final duel. Evans had reached the final after beating Jean-Eric Vergne, while Wehrlein overcame Max Günther. The result moved Wehrlein into third place in the championship and gave Porsche a strong starting position for the race.
Race 1 began with Wehrlein controlling the pace from pole position. Rain arrived during the event, making conditions difficult and forcing the Safety Car to appear. After the restart, Wehrlein used Attack Mode perfectly and created a gap at the front.
Antonio Felix da Costa finished second for Jaguar, while Jake Dennis completed the podium for Andretti. Felipe Drugovich impressed with fourth place, while Nyck de Vries recovered from the back of the grid to finish fifth.
Jean-Eric Vergne finished sixth after losing ground during midfield battles, while Joel Eriksson took seventh. Championship leader Mitch Evans struggled and ended the race eighth, reducing his points advantage over Wehrlein to only three points.
The second qualifying session brought more surprises as changing weather conditions mixed up the order. Nico Müller topped Group A, while Wehrlein was fastest in Group B. Jaguar had a difficult session, with both Evans and Antonio Felix da Costa failing to reach the Duels.
In the Duels, Taylor Barnard impressed in the wet conditions and reached the final after beating Oliver Rowland. Felipe Drugovich caused a major upset by defeating Wehrlein and reaching his first Formula E final. The Brazilian then completed a perfect qualifying session by beating Barnard and taking his first Formula E pole position.
Race 2 started in difficult conditions, with heavy rain forcing the race to begin behind the Safety Car. Championship leader Mitch Evans suffered a technical problem before the start and was unable to take part, giving Wehrlein a major opportunity in the title fight.
Drugovich started from pole but quickly lost the lead to the Porsche drivers Wehrlein and Nico Müller. As the track dried, different strategies became possible, with some drivers using Attack Mode early and others saving energy for later.
The key moment came when Zane Maloney stopped with a wheel failure, bringing out a Full Course Yellow. The interruption removed the advantage of several drivers who had already activated Attack Mode, while Lucas Di Grassi still had one remaining for the final stages.
The Lola Yamaha Abt driver produced an incredible comeback from 18th on the grid. Using his final Attack Mode at the perfect moment, Di Grassi passed Joel Eriksson and Jean-Eric Vergne in the closing laps before taking the lead on the final lap.
Di Grassi crossed the finish line to claim his first Formula E victory since 2022 and the first-ever win for the Lola Yamaha Abt team. Vergne finished second, while Eriksson celebrated his first Formula E podium in third.
Wehrlein finished fourth but achieved the biggest championship reward, taking the lead in the Drivers’ Championship. He now holds a nine-point advantage over Evans, who lost valuable points after failing to start.
Sebastien Buemi finished fifth, followed by Drugovich, Müller, Rowland, Barnard, and Dan Ticktum in the top ten.
The Shanghai weekend showed once again why Formula E can be unpredictable, with weather conditions, strategy choices, and energy management playing a decisive role in the championship battle.
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