Pascal Wehrlein has thrown down a "statement" that he is "fighting really hard" to become a two-time Formula E champion, following his win in Friday evening’s Jeddah E-Prix.
If there was ever a drive to cement a spot as a major title favourite, then it was Wehrlein’s crushing performance to secure a dominant win in the opening race of the Jeddah double-header.
Starting from third, Wehrlein remained in the lead group for the first half of the race before moving to the front on lap 15.
He was quickly passed by DS Penske’s Maximilian Günther in Attack Mode, so he opted to immediately dive into the pits to take his Pit Boost, before activating his sole six-minute Attack Mode on his initial lap after leaving the pit lane.
It was a strategic masterstroke that saw the Season 10 world champion lead by eight seconds at one point, allowing him to cruise to the finish.
"Yeah, it was a very enjoyable race," Wehrlein told RacingNews365: "We did everything perfectly, except the start was quite tricky; I think sometimes it was a bit too close for comfort.
"But yeah, we got through it, and our strategy was perfect. Our pace was really strong. I did some nice moves when I had to do them.
"I couldn't be happier about the car, especially in the race. Everything just felt like it was coming together."
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Wehrlein entered the race two points adrift of Nick Cassidy but emerged with a 16-point advantage at the top of the standings.
It is a margin that, while small, can quickly be built on by the 31-year-old in Saturday’s second race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
There is a steely determination to Wehrlein this season, as he finally had his perfect race on Friday, with his eyes firmly set on taking back the #1 that Oliver Rowland took from him last season.
Asked if his Jeddah win was his statement of intent in the Formula E title race, Wehrlein responded: "I want to win it. I want us to fight for it.
"Overall, we can be happy with how this season has started. We've collected lots of points. The statement is that we are fighting really hard for this championship."
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