Pascal Wehrlein issues remarkable message after Formula E controversy

Pascal Wehrlein has revealed that his pole position in Berlin was the "unhappiest" of his career and "meant nothing" due to so many Formula E drivers and teams effectively opting not to bother with qualifying.

The German secured pole for the second race of Formula E's recent double-header in the German capital, scoring three points — the exact margin by which he leads the drivers' title race.

However, the qualifying session was full of controversy, with several drivers, including eventual race winner Mitch Evans and second-placed Oliver Rowland, revealing they had intentionally qualified towards the back.

It was done to save a set of fresh tyres for the race at the Tempelhof Airport Circuit, where energy management was so critical that going from last to first — or, in Evans' case, from 17th to first — was easily possible.

In the eyes of the Season 10 world champion, Berlin crossed the line into being too "extreme", with Wehrlein believing qualifying should always carry a certain level of importance.

Addressing qualifying in Berlin, Wehrlein told RacingNews365 in Monaco: "On Saturday in Berlin, everyone did the qualifying, and everyone knew, 'Okay, today we have a bit more energy than tomorrow,' or that the race with Pit Boost is a bit faster than the second race. Maybe I don't want to qualify last.' You know, there was still a small importance placed on qualifying.

"On Sunday, the targets were so low that no one bothered about qualifying. And it was also, for me, the unhappiest pole position I've ever had because, yes, except for the three points, it meant nothing, and being fast over one lap meant nothing for the race.

"So yeah, it was probably the most extreme race of the season, and one extreme that went a bit too far."

Porsche's Berlin qualifying discussion

Remarkably, according to Wehrlein, Porsche also discussed ahead of qualifying for the second race in Berlin whether it should opt not to try in order to save tyres.

In the end, it decided against doing so and scored what could prove to be three crucial points. To Wehrlein's relief, Monaco this weekend will see normality return to qualifying.

While not pivotal, starting position still carries significant importance at the Circuit de Monaco, a venue where Porsche has never achieved a podium.

Asked if it felt bizarre to discuss with Porsche not trying in qualifying, Wehrlein replied: "Yeah, it is. And like I said, it goes a bit too far, but it's also one extreme.

"Now in Monaco, we go back to a normal kind of weekend. Qualifying is important. Is it race-deciding? No, you can still win the race even if you're starting in P5.

"But if you're starting P15, you're probably not going to win. So there's a clear importance to qualifying, and I think that is the right compromise."