Pascal Wehrlein has defended Porsche's use of team orders across the penultimate round of the Formula E season, which saw the German clinch pole and victory to take the title lead.
The Season 10 world champion cruised to victory in the opening race of the title-deciding London E-Prix, moving five points clear of Jake Dennis with just one race remaining on Sunday.
From qualifying, Porsche implemented team orders to benefit Wehrlein. In the semi-final stage of the qualifying duels, Cupra Kiro's Dan Ticktum let the 31-year-old win with ease, following a clear instruction from Porsche, which powers the outfit.
In the final, it was an all-factory Porsche affair, with Müller easing off at the final corner to let Wehrlein take pole.
From the first corner of the race, team orders were again in use, with Müller holding up the pack to let Wehrlein escape into the distance. It worked perfectly, although it left some drivers frustrated by the extent to which Porsche used its power within the paddock.
However, Wehrlein quickly defended the German manufacturer's actions, recalling Jaguar's use of team orders in Monaco two seasons ago to secure a one-two.
Discussing Müller's role in his pole and victory, Wehrlein told RacingNews365: "Well, first of all, it's great to have him in the team. It's a great relationship, working and private. He fits well into the team.
"He's gotten super quick in terms of understanding the car and driving it, and helping all of us to fight for this championship, for the teams' championship, and obviously now he's, yeah, also supporting me when he's in a position to do so, and it's great to have a stable and motivating environment.
"We are pushing hard. I think today's qualifying was the best example that we put both cars into first and second. So, yeah, he played a big role in today's success. And on the other hand, don't forget that those games were also played previously.
"If you just look at Monaco two years ago, for example, he was not even in the fight for the championship yet. It was quite early into the season."
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