Miami ePrix LIVE - Pascal Wehrlein inherits victory in post-race penalty chaos as Norman Nato stripped of lead due to Attack Mode infringements

Porsche are back on top in Formula E after earning a double podium with race winner Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa.

The Porsches led the second half of the race, but an incident and subsequent restart in the final four laps favoured Wehrlein.

There was post-race drama as polesitter Norman Nato crossed the line first but was handed a time penalty for not finishing his ATTACK MODE.

Lucas di Grassi collected major points for Lola-Yamaha after claiming his first podium in two years with a well-timed safety car.

It was an action-packed first visit to the Homestead-Miami Speedway, which has shuffled the order of each Championship.

It was all going well for Antonio Felix da Costa before the red flag, as he was leading the race comfortably with a 30% energy reserve. However, the restart caused chaos as a handful of drivers jumped the Porsche using their ATTACK MODE, which was bound to be slapped with a penalty anyway (due to the infringements).

After all the time penalties, da Costa finished in third place but was fuming because of the closing stage chaos.

Da Costa said: "I'm just angry, but it's the rules. Rules are rules.

"We got done today by being too good because we were that good on energy that I could aggressively split my attacks to have the six minutes at the end to go away and win the race.

"Then we did that two or three second gap, and the safety car came out, and the others had the attack modes left to take.

"So, yeah, it's worse. You go to the factory for two or three days, you fly all the way here, you do the perfect race today, we executed a perfect day, and then you lose a win like that.

"But again, I mean, it's still P3. I'm happy for the team, but yeah, this one is painful."

Lucas di Grassi has picked up his first podium since the Mexico ePrix in 2023 after a dramatic race saw him climb to second place in the closing stages.

The veteran Formula E driver has picked up some crucial points for Lola-Yamaha, and climbed up the Drivers' Standings as a result.

Di Grassi said: "Amazing day. We started the day with a good qualifying piece seven, which was the best of the year.

"Then in the race, honestly, was a combination of a very good strategy, being the right time, the right moment when the safety car came.

"Then we had an attack mode to finish the race. So I didn't, I didn't have to fight the people around me.

"P2, my first podium in two years. So I'm very, very pleased for myself, but also for the Lola Yamaha team."

It was a perfect weekend for Porsche as they scored an emphatic joint podium despite a chaotic race full of Safety Cars and post-race penalty drama.

The reigning champion Pascal Wehrlein perfectly timed his ATTACK MODE to climb up behind his teammate in the lead, but a convenient red flag and restart catapulted him to the lead.

Although Wehrlein did not cross the line finish first, he was handed the lead after the first-placed driver Norman Nato broke an ATTACK MODE rule.

Wehrlein said: "Super chaotic race. I don't know what to say.

"At one point I thought the race was done when David and me touched in the chicane - when he went off there, it felt like my steering was a bit bent afterwards.

"I thought, actually the race is over, but then I did two corners and the car felt kind of okay, then progressed to the front.

"Obviously, in the end, a bit lucky with the safety car, to be honest, but I think we have had enough bad luck, so we can also be lucky for once.

"Great job by everyone for bringing home this result.

"Well, I knew that all the cars behind still had an attack mode to do some of them six minutes.

"My team kept me informed within six minutes, and I still wanted to finish the race in p1 over the line, I tried, but the grip in 3 and the four-wheel drive is just so much.

"I knew that there was a penalty coming for Nato and yeah, it is what it is."

A handful of ten-second post-race time penalties have been handed out to drivers due to ATTACK MODE infringements. Drivers affected include polesitter Norman Nato, who was the first driver to cross the finish line. His victory was stripped less than five minutes from the flag as he strategically crossed the line first but failed to finish his ATTACK MODE before the end of the race.

Drivers were given the penalty because they deployed their ATTACK MODE in the final four laps but failed to finish the full ATTACK MODE. Some drivers, including Nato, chose to use six minutes of his ATTACK MODE to finish the race. However, when he crossed the finish line, he had 30 seconds left, which results in a penalty.

Robin Frijns was also handed a penalty after finishing in third place, alongside Taylor Barnard, Sam Bird and Oliver Rowland. This shuffles the podium order as these drivers used their ATTACK MODE to power through the final four laps after the standing start.

The podium order is now as follows:

1. Pascal Wehrlein

2. Lucas di Grassi

3. Antonio Felix da Costa

Norman Nato claimed his first victory for Nissan in a chaotic final lap that saw him overtake Pascal Wehrlein on the final straight. However, Nato had yet to finish his remaining ATTACK MODE so may be stripped of the victory before the hour is over.

The Porsche duo were split heading into the narrow first corner as Pascal Wehrlein attempted to jump his teammate Antonio Felix da Costa but Edoardo Mortara snuck in front. Mortara claimed the second-place position heading into Turn 1 and managed to hold off Wehrlein through Sector 1. Da Costa held onto the lead by Lap 23 but chaos unfolded behind as a majority of the field deployed their ATTACK MODE.

Wehrlein pulled off a quick overtake on his teammate using his ATTACK MODE and snatched the lead on Lap 24. Da Costa was jumped by drivers Robin Frijns, Norman Nato and Oliver Rowland. The veteran driver tried to put up a fight but it was no match for ATTACK MODE as the top five drivers used the feature to jump the Porsche driver.

After around 15 minutes in a Red Flag, the restart is in progress. Antonio Felix da Costa is in the lead with a great storage of energy, although he will likely have to go flat-out if he wants to pick up a win. Behind, there are a number of drivers with remaining ATTACK MODE who need to carefully choose a strategy. If drivers don't finish all of their deployed ATTACK MODE, they may receive a penalty.

There will be a standing restart.

There's a huge chance for a Nissan comeback here with Norman Nato possessing six minutes of ATTACK MODE left. The polesitter may be able to jump from third place to the lead unless his teammate Oliver Rowland can make the climb from 11th to first. Rowland is one of the lucky ones in this red flag, as he boasts 30% energy left.

The Porsche duo could retain their lead at the Miami ePrix in what would be an impressive comeback, but the situation is a little sticky. Antonio Felix da Costa holds the front spot in the line-up with 30% energy remaining. He was compromised during the Safety Car and Red Flag as he was using his remaining ATTACK MODE during the closing stages. On the other hand, second-placed Pascal Wehrlein could snatch the win with his four minutes of ATTACK MODE.

The pace was beginning to pick up across the pack, but a disaster unfolded behind in a three-car pile-up. Mitch Evans, Jake Hughes, and Max Gunther are all folded up into one another. The incident unfolded as Hughes took the corner aggressively but ran out of space between the narrow barriers. The Penske driver was caught up in the mess as it seemed like Gunther touched the back of Hughes on the apex. The pile-up was concluded by Evans who could not avoid the wreckage.

All three drivers are safe and out of the cars, but three dreamy Miami weekends may be drawn to a close.

By Lap 17, Porsche led the Miami ePrix using a clever tactic. Perfectly timed ATTACK MODE sees the duo in the lead, but a Safety Car is called after Nyck de Vries finds himself parked in a corner of the Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was a brief Safety Car as de Vries managed to reset the car and return to the track while the Safety Car led the grid around the circuit.

Another perfect instance for Porsche, the Safety Car gave the Porsche duo a chance to lay off some energy and save some for the later stages of the race. Pascal Wehrlein has 4% less than his teammate and race leader Antonio Felix da Costa, who has only had to use a few minutes of his ATTACK MODE.

Nissan are nowhere to be seen after being named the favourites of the race, especially the championship leader Oliver Rowland who runs in 16th place on Lap 20. His teammate and polesitter Norman Nato is trailing behind Edoardo Mortara in fifth place, but Mortara has just deployed five minutes of ATTACK MODE.

There are problems for David Beckmann in the pitlane as he suffers through a standstill during his ATTACK MODE. As his ATTACK MODE timer ticks, the driver has lost crucial energy and time while at the back of the pack due to a long pit stop.

An Andretti leads the Miami ePrix for the first time at the Homestead-Miami Speedway as Nico Mueller has jumped 17 places to the lead. Once again, Antonio Felix da Costa's consistency keeps him in the top three and briefly in the lead of the race.

By Lap 15, da Costa leads the race without having to use a single minute of ATTACK MODE as the handful of drivers using the feature suffer from an energy drop-off after failing to retain the position they used so much boost to claim.

Meanwhile, the reigning champion joins his teammate in the top three, using ATTACK MODE to climb from ninth to second place. Pascal Wehrlein has pushed da Costa to deploy his ATTACK MODE too in a clever tactic by Porsche for their two drivers to push ahead of the rest of the pack. This strategy is a perfect trick in getting their drivers to follow each other around the circuit in an attempt to conserve energy while retaining their positions at the front of the pack.

There was no sign of ATTACK MODE nor the Pit Boost in the first eight laps as the drivers continued this energy-saving strategy into Lap 9 of the race. The first of the ATTACK MODE deployments was by Sebastien Buemi, who opted for two minutes of the feature in the middle of Lap 9. The Envision driver has an extra 40% energy to climb up to second place by Lap 10.

Jean Eric Vergne ran wide onto the grass on the exit of Turn 12 and dropped to the back of the field from the midfield. Meanwhile, Stoffel Vandoorne also deployed two minutes of ATTACK MODE and managed to climb up to fifth place by Lap 11.

Norman Nato still holds onto the lead heading into Lap 11 but is under severe pressure from Vandoorne, who jumped both Envision drivers to climb into third place. Antonio Felix da Costa has somehow stayed in second place through all this chaos but may need to deploy his ATTACK MODE soon.

Nato led the pack by 0.2s but Nyck de Vries decided to use four minutes of his ATTACK MODE on Lap 12. A swap saw Nato lose his lead to the former F1 drivers of de Vries and da Costa. However, both da Costa and Nato possess 2% more energy than de Vries.

Norman Nato reclaimed his lead on Lap 5, jumping both Nyck De Vries and Antonio Felix da Costa in one move. The Porsche driver da Costa has remained consistent from the opening lap, sticking within the top three in what looks to be an energy-saving strategy for the first stint of the race.

The Envision duo are swapping places back and forth throughout the circuit, but especially in the fastest sector at Turn 8. By Lap 7, a majority of the field has 78%-80% of energy left. It could gravely affect the drivers towards the end of the race as attempts to conserve energy on the tricky track may not be playing to the script.

Championship leader Oliver Rowland is running in 17th place, while his teammate retains the lead. Rowland was named the favourite for the victory, but a poorly timed qualifying lap dropped him to the back of the grid.

On the entry to Lap 8, the top three are Nato, da Costa, and Frijns.

Nyck de Vries has found himself in the lead of the Miami ePrix after overtaking polesitter Norman Nato on the second lap. He climbed up from fifth place to the lead but currently defends from Porsche veteran driver Antonio Felix da Costa.

Envision drivers Sébastien Buemi and Robin Frijins are occupying the fourth and fifth slots in the line-up while the polesitter sits in third place. The Nissans were predicted to dominate in the race but it looks like the challengers are strong today.

The drivers are cruising through the circuit smoothly, with zero accidents so far. Efficiency is said to be the main factor on this track, as the high-abrasion surface will eat up tyre performance over time. Turn 4 is where the action will spring up as it is an ATTACK MODE zone.

Nissan driver Norman Nato gets off to a great start, storming off the line to lead the pack into the first corner. Antonio Felix da Costa climbs up to second place while Nyck de Vries jumps to third place in a huge leap up the grid.

It is excruciatingly hot on the surface of the Homestead-Miami Speedway but the all-electric series is perfectly prepared for this issue. The high-abrasion circuit is bound to cause some issues later in the race.

The grid is as packed as can be as the American national anthem draws to a close. It is set to be an action-packed race at the challenging Homestead-Miami Speedway. This circuit is tricky for single-seaters of all sorts, with the cars literally having to climb banked corners before heading into long straights.

For Formula E newcomers, the all-new Pit Boost feature may seem confusing. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Season 11 has brought many upgrades to the electric racing series, including this speed-enhancing feature. 

The first deployment of Pit Boost was seen in Jeddah after two long years of development. This new feature is said to revolutionise the mandatory pit stops during the race, gifting drivers a 10% energy boost (3.85kWh). This 34-second stop may require a driver to sacrifice their position, but it will greatly impact their performance in the end after reaping the benefits.

Pit Boost is a completely separate entity from Attack Mode, which is deployed twice in a race to increase power in short bursts. With the reintroduction of pit stops, Formula E has an entirely new field to play with.

In all fairness, it did change the fate of the Jeddah races, with a majority of drivers reporting huge increases in power. However, it was unbelievably confusing as a flurry of drivers deployed the feature at the same time.

Take great care to note when the drivers use Pit Boost, as it gives them another thing to time perfectly. When paired with ATTACK MODE, the feature was incredibly effective. Pit Boost was one of the main reasons Maximilian Gunther was able to fight for victory in Jeddah.

Nissan opened Season 11 with a bang. Oliver Rowland has secured two of the four available victories so far, and his Nissan-powered colleagues have outperformed the Porsches and Andrettis. Norman Nato kicked off Round 5 with an impressive maiden pole position in Miami, set to continue Nissan’s dominance.

McLaren’s rookie driver, Taylor Barnard, is experiencing one of the most glorious debuts in the sport, sitting comfortably in second in the standings. The McLaren features Nissan’s strong powertrain, which is easily the smoothest on the grid. Barnard has secured three podiums and a pole position in his first four Formula E races, breaking the record for the youngest driver to hold a pole position.

A Nissan resurgence could end the dominance of one of the big guns, Porsche, who appears to be struggling this year. With their reigning champion down in the midfield and their veteran driver fighting for points, it could be tough to recoup. After all, it is Porsche, and if any team can make a huge comeback, it’s certainly them.

Jaguar also seems to be on the back foot of Nissan. The Teams’ World Champions are practically nowhere to be seen as both Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy have struggled since Brasil. Dubbed as the strongest pair on the grid, the duo have fallen behind the Nissan duo entirely.

Can Nissan keep this momentum going?

Season 11 of Formula E has brought fans an all-new powerful electric car, the Gen3 Evo. Following on the car that made last season a game-changer, this upgraded race car boasts more power and all-wheel drive.

Fans can see a clear difference between the old and new specs, with the new specs easily powering around corners and launching off the line seamlessly. As Formula E has progressed, their cars have become the fastest in motorsport off the line, capable of going from 0-62 mph in 1.82 seconds.

FIA Technical Manager and GEN3 Project Lead, Alessandra Ciliberti said: "GEN3 brings a host of innovations, but we’re still committed to going a step beyond. 

"We’re already thinking of the evolution we can bring through the four-year cycle.

"We’re investigating using the front powertrain kit in traction as well as begin to allow for four-wheel drive-in specific scenarios.

"Then, looking even further to GEN4, we have to ensure Formula E remains at the forefront as the laboratory for future mobility. 

"We will work through and understand the challenges the manufacturers face from a technical perspective to make sure it remains the perfect platform for them."