The Gen3 era of Formula E has begun. Qualifying for the opening round of the Mexico City E-Prix took place on Saturday, January 14, with Lucas di Grass (Mahindra) taking a memorable first pole position of Season 9.
The final was a battle between Lucas di Grassi and Jake Dennis (Andretti), both drivers made mistakes, but Di Grassi prevailed and put his car on pole position.
In the garage opposite Mahindra, Oliver Rowland failed to set a lap in the group stage, resulting in an extreme start from the back.
The biggest shock of the session came in the DS Penske Garage, where Season 8 champion Stoffel Vandoorne and teammate Jean-Eric Vergne failed to get past the group stage. Although they really showed their pace, they will start from 14th and 11th on the grid respectively.
Neither could Maserati, who showed speed in the test, advance to the contest phase. Eduardo Mortara and Maximilian Gunther will start from the 16th and 17th.
Andretti qualified as a fast car without doubt after a pessimistic test of the potential of the car supplied by Porsche. Andre Lotterer faced pollster Lucas di Grassi in the semi-finals.
Jake Dennis was lucky enough to get through after hitting the wall in a duel with Pascal Wehrlein in the quarter-final, which damaged his front wing.
Rookie Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz will start eighth on the grid after losing out to Andretti’s André Lotterer in the last quarter by 0.044 seconds.
Team-mate Jake Hughes (McLaren) was third in Group B, beating Daniel Ticktum (NIO 333) by 0.02 seconds in the quarter-finals. Hughes will be third on the grid for the Mexico City E-Prix, while his teammate Rene Rast will start in 15th.
NIO 333, after years of struggling at the back of the grid, is very positive with Daniel Ticktum finishing 2nd in Group B and 5th in the quarter final with a time in the Gen3 age 1’12s However, Sergio Sette Camara, in unfortunately unable to take part in the Grŵp A Contest, starting from 13th.
Formula E 2023 Mexico City E-Prix Qualifying Results
1. Lucas Di Grassi (Mahindra Racing)
2. Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti)
3. Jake Hughes (NEOM McLaren)
Four. André Lotterer (Avalanche Andretti)
Five. Daniel Ticktum (NIO Racing 333)
6. Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche)
7. Sebastien Buemi (Envision Racing)
8. Sasha Fenestraz (Nissan)
Ten. Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing)
11. Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Penske)
12. Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing)
13. Sergio Sette Camara (Racing NIO 333)
13. Antonio da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche)
14. Stoffel Vandoorne (DS Penske)
15. Rene Last (NEOM McLaren)
16. Edoardo Mortara (Maserati MSG Racing)
17. Maximilian Gunther (Maserati MSG Racing)
18. Nico Muller (ABT CUPRA)
19. Robin Frijns (ABT CUPRA)
20. Norman Nato (Nissan)
twenty one. Sam Bird (TCS Jaguar Racing)
twenty two. Oliver Rowland (Mahindra Racing)
Category: F1 / Formula E
