Antonio Felix da Costa emerged victorious in the first Misano E-Prix of the weekend, while his future at Tag Heuer Porsche has been a topic of speculation. The Portuguese driver showcased his skills and strategy by climbing from 13th position to secure his first win of the season, becoming the sixth different winner in six races. Nissan’s Oliver Rowland secured second place, closely followed by Andretti’s Jake Dennis in third on the podium. Maserati MSG Racing’s Max Günther finished in fourth place, keeping his own championship ambitions alive. Mitch Evans, who started on pole position, could only manage sixth place, with Dan Ticktum impressively finishing fifth.
Championship contenders Pascal Wehrlein and Nick Cassidy encountered issues when both collided with Jean-Eric Vergne. Cassidy had to retire from the race, while Wehrlein finished in 19th place.
The race in Misano was full of excitement and unpredictability. Evans had a good start from pole position, but chaos ensued as cars battled for positions on the wider-than-usual Formula E track. Overtaking opportunities were scarce, but drivers had to balance track position with battery energy conservation. Sébastien Buemi led the race initially, with Cassidy also in contention. Da Costa quickly made his way through the pack to take the lead, while Cassidy’s race effectively ended after his collision with Vergne, who received a penalty for the incident.
Vergne was involved in another incident, this time with Wehrlein, causing damage to the second Porsche and forcing both drivers to pit. Sam Bird took the lead, employing a strategic approach similar to his previous race in São Paulo. His teammate, Jake Hughes, who started from the back of the grid due to a disqualification, made impressive progress and reached eighth place.
Despite his penalty, Vergne continued to fight for positions and even took the lead at one point. Dennis also moved up to fourth place. Buemi remained in contention and led the race on the 13th lap. Günther, the winner of the Tokyo race, faced difficulties on the 15th lap when he went over the curbs. Bird seemed to have a chance of victory, but suffered a puncture on the 17th lap, ending his race.
Rowland emerged as a serious contender for the win and led several times in the following laps. Ticktum and Sergio Sette Cámara showed impressive energy-saving skills as they reached the top six. Cassidy decided to retire from the race as he was too far behind the leaders.
In the final laps, Rowland and da Costa pulled away from the rest of the pack, with the win likely to be contested between the two. However, da Costa managed to create enough of a gap to prevent Rowland from mounting a serious challenge on the final lap. Amid speculation about his future at Porsche, da Costa made a bold statement as he crossed the finish line in first place, marking his first victory since the race in Cape Town in the last season.
