Wehrlein Gives Porsche Mexico City Pole
Calum Gill 19:10 12/02/2022
Pascal Wehrlein put Porsche on Mexico City Formula E pole as his qualifying final rival Edoardo Mortara spun across the finish.
Championship leader Mortara - who’s still yet to take a pole in FE after four years in the series - came out of the final corner sideways in his Venturi Mercedes and then spun as he crossed the timing line. That ensured Wehrlein definitely had pole, but the Porsche was edging ahead on the times anyway even before Mortara’s moment. Porsche had been strong throughout the day in Mexico, where it took its first Formula E pole with André Lotterer two years ago. Lotterer was quickest in the opening practice session and he and Wehrlein were fastest in their respective qualifying groups. However, Lotterer lost out to Mortara in their semi-final duel so starts third.
A DS Techeetah quarter-final duel between Jean-Éric Vergne and António Félix da Costa was a highlight of the head-to-head stages. Vergne proved quicker there by just 0.011 seconds and starts fourth after a semi-final defeat to Wehrlein, while practice pacesetter da Costa was at least quickest of the quarter-final losers so is just one place behind his team-mate on the grid. Both works Mercedes only just made it through the group stages, clinging on to the fourth spot in each case, and then both got knocked out by a Porsche in the quarter-final duels. Season-opener winner Nyck de Vries starts sixth and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne eighth, having clipped the dirt and nearly the wall with a wild run through Turn 1 in his duel.
The fourth Mercedes of Venturi driver Lucas di Grassi didn’t reach the duels and lines up 14th. Jaguar desperately needed a good Mexico weekend to prove its title credentials having disappointed in Saudi Arabia, but was simply off the pace again. A big Turn 1 lock-up in group qualifying didn’t help Mitch Evans (winner of FE’s last Mexico City race two years ago) and he’ll start 11th, which is still six places higher than team-mate Sam Bird. There was also disappointment for Diriyah podium hero Jake Dennis, who only managed 15th on the grid. That meant his rookie Avalanche Andretti team-mate Oliver Askew outqualified him by three positions.
Envision’s Robin Frijns joined Dennis in the ‘best of the rest’ region in Saudi and had a podium in race two. He’s in contention again this time having qualified seventh, two places ahead of team-mate Nick Cassidy. After struggling in Diriyah, Nissan hinted at better Mexico pace in practice before underwhelming in qualifying by comparison. Maximilian Günther at least has a top 10 start in 10th, with team-mate Sébastien Buemi way back in 18th.
Oliver Rowland had reached the duels for Mahinda in both Diriyah rounds but went off at Turn 1 on his final group qualifying lap, consigning him to 16th on the grid. Formula 1 convert Antonio Giovinazzi showed slightly better form having trailed the pack throughout the Saudi weekend. His qualifying lap was within a tenth of a second of Dragon Penske team-mate Sérgio Sette Camara and the vagaries of the group system mean Giovinazzi actually starts one place ahead of Sette Camara in 19th, with the NIO 333 drivers behind them both.
