Publications
Partners
- Pascal Wehrlein raced in Formula 1 in 2016 and 2017, but was signed to back-marker teams.
- The German racer has been involved in Formula E since the 2018/19 season.
- Wehrlein currently leads the 2022/23 Formula E championship with Porsche.
Pascal Wehrlein has almost done it all in motorsport. From tasting the highs of success to not being a team's pick, the German has experienced the best and worst of a sport he loves.
But what only a few people may know is that Wehrlein was once a Formula 1 driver. Those who do remember, though, are probably not recent converts of the raging success of Netflix's 'Drive to Survive', but have been following the sport for years - decades! - on end.
Yet, if the name Pascal Wehrlein does not ring a bell, you'd be forgiven, because, if we're quite honest, his time in F1 has been rather… underwhelming.
Just two seasons
Wehrlein's racing career kicked up a gear when he started racing in motorsport codes that fall under the FIA's umbrella. In the 2010 ADAC Formula Masters, his debut season, he finished sixth and won it in 2011. In 2012 and 2013, he ascended to Formula 3, but switched to DTM in 2014 after dabbling in both DTM and Formula 3 the year before.
In 2014, Wehrlein was also signed to Mercedes-AMG as an official test driver and added Force India to his resume the following year. That same year, he won the 2015 DTM championship - becoming the series' youngest champion at just 20-years-old.
READ: Cape Town should brace itself for an influx of activity after Formula E race
His impressive performances over the years and affiliation with Mercedes-AMG opened the door to a racing seat at Manor Racing in 2016, and in 2017, he switched to Sauber. However, driving for back-marker teams would never result in any notable success, and in 2018 he returned to DTM.
Mercedes-AMG retained his services for 2018, with the relationship ultimately running its course at the end of that year.
Then came Formula E
Fortunately for Wehrlein, his credentials up to this point were nothing short of impressive, and teams from all motorsport codes knew that this was a talent that could not go to waste. Unfortunately for Wehrlein, luck in F1 was never on his side, and he called time on his ambitions for a full-time return - at least for now.
After Nico Rosberg (and following in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher), he could have been Germany's next F1 champion, but life does not always pan out that way.
READ: From plotting on a napkin to racing around the world - the birth of Formula E
Wehrlein, always ready for a challenge, then joined Mahindra Racing in Formula E for the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, while also signing up as the Ferrari F1 team's official test driver for the 2020 season. After two seasons with Mahindra Racing, Wehrlein moved to the TAG Heuer Porsche team in 2020/21, with whom he's been racing since.
Now 28 (going on 29), Wehrlein is experiencing his best season yet in open-cockpit single-seater racing, leading the 2022/23 Formula E season with Porsche. He is currently on 80 points after four races, enjoying an 18-point lead over his nearest rival.
Formula E is heading to Cape Town for Round 5 of the 2022/23 season. The Mother City will host this global series on 25 February.
