Porsche is currently considering changing its driver lineup for the 2024–25 Formula E season after testing Abt Cupra driver Nico Mueller.
The squad has enjoyed some outstanding races with Pascal Wehrlein leading in the driver’s championship currently while his fellow teammate Antonio Felix da Costa endured some early challenges but finished in the top six in Sao Paulo and Tokyo.
Mueller is projected to be available at the end of this season and is currently linked to a potential move to Porsche for next season. A Porsche official only stated that they test other drivers as part of their regular process for evaluations in the future but did not reveal the identities of the drivers that were tested.
“On top, as is the standard process at Porsche, we were testing other drivers to evaluate for the future,” he said. “But which drivers we tested we will not say at the moment.”
It is believed that the test centred on the Gen3.5 changes that will be introduced in the next campaign, hinting that Porsche could change its current lineup. Wehrlein’s contract is secure and includes an option with Porsche for next season while da Costa’s contract is unclear but presumably includes an option for an extension.
Mueller’s test signifies that a transfer for the Swiss driver is either about to happen or has already started as Abt Cupra declined to comment on his test. Mueller must make challenging decisions as he is also representing Porsche’s rival, Peugeot, in the World Endurance Championship—where DS and Maserati already represent Peugeot’s parent company, Stellantis.
Mueller has developed a close relationship with the VW Group, which is the parent company of Porsche, thanks to his Abt team’s branding arrangement with Cupra.
He has put on outstanding performances for Abt Cupra since last summer as he has scored all of the points the team currently holds and has consistently performed strongly in the rankings. He has played a significant role in the return of the Mahindra Gen3 concept, which Abt is currently using as a customer team.
Wehrlein currently leads da Costa by 43 points this season although the latter finished fourth in the most recent race in Tokyo, which was the best performance for the team since June of last year.
Porsche will also run Thomas Preining, Dennis Hauger, and Matt Campbell in upcoming E-Prixs following Mueller’s Formula E test. Preining has previously taken part in tests with the team, but Hauger and Campbell will be participating in Formula E for the first time.
Campbell has enjoyed a great start to the season with victories in notable Porsche events and an impressive showing in the WEC first round. Preining will continue to race in the DTM series this year for the Manthey team while Hauger is in his third season in F2 championship.
