Nico Muller Celebrates Breakthrough Performance at Miami Formula E Race
While victory eluded him at the Miami E-Prix last weekend, Nico Muller emerged as the event's most significant success story. The Porsche driver achieved a monumental career milestone by claiming his maiden pole position during qualifying and then solidifying his performance with a podium finish in the final race. This marked the first time Muller shared the podium with his teammate, Pascal Wehrlein, as they celebrated alongside race winner Mitch Evans.
Proving Worth After Team Transition
Muller expressed profound relief at validating his capabilities after making the strategic move from Andretti to Porsche for Formula E Season 12. Remarkably, he secured a podium in just his third race with his new team, accumulating two notable achievements: his first-ever pole position and the second podium of his Formula E career. Reflecting on this accomplishment, Muller emphasized the personal significance during an interview with FormulaE.com.
"It was a very good feeling achieving pole position, to be honest," Muller stated. "And a big relief as well to prove it to myself mainly rather than anything else."
The Reward of Formula E Qualifying
During the qualifying session, Muller outperformed Andretti rookie Felipe Drugovich, who now occupies Muller's former seat at Andretti. In the final race, Muller managed to finish one position ahead of his teammate Wehrlein. He elaborated on the unique challenges of Formula E qualifying, highlighting its rewarding nature compared to other racing championships.
"In Formula E, I think pole position is much more rewarding than in other championships," Muller explained. "Because you have to prove yourself through all those phases of qualifying and the challenges are very different from group qualifying to the duels. So, to get that under our belt and score three important points for the team as well was really good, and then to top it off with a podium in very different conditions is also anything but a given."
Trusting Porsche Engineers in Adverse Conditions
Muller also took pride in securing a podium under particularly challenging circumstances, as heavy rain impacted the race at the new Miami International Autodrome circuit. He credited his team's expertise and his unwavering trust in their strategic decisions for navigating these difficult conditions successfully.
"You just think about what we can do to make sure our package is performing in these conditions," Muller noted. "That goes from setup, to pressures, to strategy, to how you use your energy, so not much different from the dry. It's always a bit of a guessing game, which makes it even more important to exchange openly with all your engineers. I have full trust in our Porsche guys. They've proven so many times that they know how to handle these situations, and they've done it again today. Getting both cars on the podium is a big statement. I'm just pleased and happy for them."
Looking Ahead to Jeddah Double-Header
With this strong performance behind him, Muller and the Formula E grid now turn their attention to the upcoming events. Formula E Season 12 continues with its first double-header in Jeddah, scheduled to take place from February 12 to 14, promising more intense racing action as teams and drivers vie for championship points.
