Motor racing-Formula E title battle goes down to London finale

Jun 30, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; António Félix da Costa (13) of TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team leads the pack in the 2024 Hankook Portland E-Prix at Portland International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Lydia Ely-USA TODAY Sports

(Reuters) - The Formula E title will be decided at this month's London finale after Porsche's Antonio Felix da Costa won both races of the weekend's Portland double-header to blow the electric championship wide open.

Da Costa's third victory in a row in Oregon on Sunday, his fourth in five races, lifted the Portuguese to fourth place overall on 134 points and made him the driver with most wins this season.

Jaguar's series leader Nick Cassidy drew a double blank in the U.S. round and is on 167 points, with team mate and fellow New Zealander Mitch Evans on 155 and level with Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein.

There are 58 points still to be won from the final two races in London on July 20-21, with Formula E awarding 25 for a win, three for pole and one for fastest lap.

Jaguar lead the team standings on 322 points, with Porsche on 289.

"I have a 12-point lead but have scored zero in two races, so it could be much worse," said Cassidy, who was 13th in Sunday's second of two races with Evans third and Wehrlein fourth despite a missing front wing.

"I think we’re going to be strong in London. I’m looking forward to it. It’s one of my favourite tracks on the calendar – and it’s going to be a fight."

Cassidy spun out of the lead on the penultimate lap after an unforced error in Saturday's race in Portland and then lost out when he made contact with other cars in a squeeze through turn one and had to pit for repairs on Sunday.

A lap 19 safety car then helped the Kiwi move back up from 17th place.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London; Editing by Peter Rutherford)