Formula E season finale in London sparks team orders controversy

The Formula E season finale at London’s ExCeL Centre has sparked significant controversy regarding the use of team orders. During the races, Porsche utilized driver Nico Müller and customer team Cupra Kiro to support Pascal Wehrlein’s championship bid. In response, Jaguar employed a similar tactic, using Antonio Felix da Costa to slow Wehrlein to assist Mitch Evans.

Both teams utilized strategies where drivers intentionally reduced their pace, leading to accusations of brake-checking and unsporting maneuvers. While race stewards took no official action, the incidents drew sharp criticism from the drivers. Wehrlein described da Costa’s driving as ‘one of the most unsporting and unfair things I have seen’, while Evans noted that attempting to overtake Müller felt like a risk of being pushed into the wall.

Porsche team principal Florian Modlinger blamed the ExCeL Centre’s tight and twisty layout for necessitating these tactical maneuvers, arguing that the venue’s design is detrimental to fair racing. The ExCeL Centre will not host future Formula E races as it is not considered suitable for the Gen4 era.