Pascal Wehrlein charged through the field from ninth to take the win in Diriyah.
In an equally aggressive performance, Jake Dennis stormed from 11th, taking second place. Sam Bird rounded out the podium in third in a welcome turn of form for the Briton who has struggled of late.
Only 21 cars lined up on the grid in Diriyah with Maserati’s Maximillian Gunther unable to take the start due to the extensive repairs needed after his qualifying crash.
The early drama came with Antonio Felix Da Costa caught up in the bunched-up pack at turn one, bringing out the safety car to recover his damaged front wing.
Sam Bird got his elbows out and passed rookie Jake Hughes with ease and set his eye on the pole man Sebastian Buemi, making light work of the Swiss driver by lap eight.
Further down the pack, Jake Dennis looked to right a tough qualifying and make his way up into the points positions.
After contact with Sergio Sette Camara, Sacha Fenestraz pitted on lap 12 for a replacement front wing, dropping him back to 19th.
Dennis continued to make his charge up the field when he took attack mode, getting up to seventh by the time he used up the extra energy.
Dan Ticktum suggested pre-race that his NIO 333 may struggle with race pace compared to what they’ve shown over one lap. The Briton struggled to regain the places he lost activating attack mode and continued to tumble down the field and out of the points.
Once again, the Porsche powertrain showed its dominance and allowed Pascal Wehrlein and Jake Dennis to charge up the field.
By lap 26, Wehrlein had made it far enough up the field to take the challenge to Bird out in front, sending it up the inside of the Briton but unable to make it stick. Wehrlein finally got past Bird on lap 30.
Almost straight after, the Porsche-powered Andretti of Dennis overtook McLaren’s Rene Rast to take fourth and then inherited third when Buemi took attack mode.
Maserati’s struggles continued in the race after Mortara made contact with Ticktum from behind and had to retire his car, another DNF for the Swiss driver.
Wehrlein and Dennis drove into the distance, battling each other for the lead until the end with Wehrlein defending with conviction to take the win.
Dennis goes into the third round a point ahead of Wehrlein in the championship.
The action continues in Diriyah tomorrow with Round 3 of the championship.
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