n an intense kickoff to the Formula E testing sessions at Jarama, Spain, TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa clocked the fastest lap on Tuesday, setting a blistering 1m 29.220s in the final hour of the afternoon session. His time edged out Andretti’s Jake Dennis by 0.186 seconds, solidifying Porsche’s dominance on day one, with five teams and four drivetrains filling out the top five positions.
Da Costa’s late charge, alongside a flurry of last-minute improvements from other drivers, established the early competitive landscape. Andretti’s Dennis followed closely, his best lap also coming towards the session’s end, hinting at a tightly matched field.
Maximilian Guenther, one of the drivers who switched teams during the off-season, impressed by securing third for DS Penske, while Mahindra’s Edoardo Mortara and Stoffel Vandoorne, now with Maserati MSG, rounded out the top five. Vandoorne’s impressive lap marked his first official outing with Maserati and was just within the 1m 30s threshold.
Newly relocated drivers made an immediate impact, with Nico Mueller (Andretti) and Jake Hughes (Maserati) trailing close behind. Reigning champion Pascal Wehrlein finished eighth after an early session lead, while seasoned champions Jean-Eric Vergne and Lucas di Grassi rounded out the top ten for the Lola-Yamaha project, showcasing the potential of the newcomer team.
Meanwhile, NEOM McLaren’s Taylor Barnard, recently promoted to a full-time driver role, placed 12th after briefly topping the leaderboard in the first half of the session. Barnard ultimately finished just behind Nyck de Vries of Mahindra, while Envision’s Sebastien Buemi ended his day in 13th, hindered by a late-session pit lane issue.
Further down the field, McLaren’s Sam Bird and Dan Ticktum of the newly christened Kiro Race Co. followed in the order. Zane Maloney, representing Lola-Yamaha, completed the top half, with David Beckman and Robin Frijns at the lower end. Notably, Frijns was the only driver who didn’t utilize the full 350kW power during his lap attempts, potentially holding back the Lola-Yamaha’s true capabilities.
Conspicuously absent from the day’s action were Jaguar TCS Racing and Nissan, including Jaguar’s Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy as well as Nissan’s Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato. Both teams faced a half-day ban from the track due to cost cap infringements. The last-minute venue shift from Valencia to Jarama forced Tuesday’s running into a single afternoon session, meaning these teams had no track time on day one but are expected to resume on Wednesday.
As the testing continues this week, teams are gearing up for a competitive season, with multiple manufacturers looking strong and new team-driver pairings already pushing the limits. With Jarama’s challenging layout adding to the action, all eyes are now on the upcoming sessions to see which teams will maintain this momentum.
