Wehrlein makes Porsche demand ahead of golden opportunity

Pascal Wehrlein has demanded that Porsche "build on" from their strong pace just under a fortnight ago in Tokyo, at this weekend's inaugural Misano double-header.

This weekend's trip to Misano is Formula E's first to a traditional purpose-built circuit this season, meaning the peloton will be in full flow.

Porsche typically benefit from this style of race, as the German manufacturer's efficiency is amongst the very best on the grid.

Therefore, having two races in Misano – Wehrlein raced there in DTM – could play in the German driver's favour and allow him to extend his two-point lead in the championship.

“The pace was good throughout the weekend in Tokyo. We have to build on that in Misano," said Wehrlein. "The track has fewer bumps and faster corners than a street circuit.

"I’ve raced there before in the DTM but it’ll be a completely different story in a Formula E car. This will be an important weekend because there are two races and thus double the points up for grabs.

"The fact that I’m leading the drivers’ standings shows that we’re doing a good job as a team. But we’re aware that the season is still long.”

Peloton 'good news' for Porsche

On the other side of the Porsche garage, Antonio Felix da Costa has looked much more competitive over the last couple of rounds and is keen to continue building his "momentum".

However, it has been reported by The Race that he could be set for the axe at the conclusion of Season 10, with Abt Cupra's Nico Müller having supposedly conducted a test for Porsche.

Despite the background stories, the Portuguese driver believes Misano will be a strong venue for the Stuttgart-based team and should allow them to score big points across both races.

“We shifted the momentum in our favour in São Paulo and Tokyo. We made progress in qualifying and also improved in the race," said da Costa.

"We’ll build on this for the rest of the season. Misano should be a good race for the team. Energy management will play a bigger role on this track, which is good news for us, and so far we’ve always looked good on new circuits.

"As a doubleheader, Misano offers the opportunity to take home a lot of points.”