The inaugural Formula E race at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli was expected to be a chaotic affair, as the long straights and high-speed corners meant drivers would look to slip back into the pack and save energy in the slipstream.
It proved to be the case as no fewer than eight drivers led at some point during the 28-lap race, with 19 overall changes for the lead.
Wehrlein entered the event as the championship leader but crossed the line 17th after the Porsche driver was forced to pit for a new front wing following contact with Jean-Eric Vergne.
Team-mate Antonio Felix da Costa claimed victory having started 14th as reigning champion Jake Dennis finished third from 17th on the grid, leading Wehrlein to suggest qualifying is a pointless exercise.
“I think the pace is there, we knew that, but this kind of racing is a bit weird,” said the German.
“It’s like we don’t need to do the qualifying anymore with those kind of races.
“The thing is our energy targets are just way too low in the beginning.
“I don’t know if it’s exciting or not, I need to rewatch the race to learn more about it.
Source: Autosport