Image: Simon Galloway, courtesy of Formula E
Pascal Wehrlein, from Tag Heuer Porsche, secured his second Pole Position of the season, putting himself in a strong position to win the São Paulo E-Prix this afternoon.
During qualifying, the Porsche powertrain showed promising pace, and Wehrlein did not disappoint. He narrowly beat Stoffel Vandoorne from DS Penske by just two thousandths of a second in the final. Max Guenther from Maserati MSG Racing qualified in third, but will start from the back of the grid due to a 40-position penalty for changing the gearbox before FP2. This penalty elevates Jean-Eric Vergne from Penske to third position, with last year’s winner Mitch Evans in fourth, Sam Bird in fifth, and Edoardo Mortara in sixth.
Nico Muller from APT Cupra had a strong performance in the group stages and will start in eighth place. However, his team will need to work quickly to ensure his car is ready for the race after he hit the wall on his final lap. Antonio Felix da Costa, Wehrlein’s teammate, will start in ninth, while championship leader Nick Cassidy is in tenth. Reigning champion Jake Dennis, despite finishing 11th on track, will be elevated to 10th place.
Envision Racing had a disappointment, as Robin Frijns and Sebastien Buemi only managed 18th and 19th place, respectively, and Norman Nato from Avalanche Andretti will start from the back of the grid.
Group Stages
The session started unusually, with a red flag being waved after just 45 seconds. A flare failed and fell on the back straight between turns six and seven, but officials quickly removed the object, allowing the session to resume.
In Group A, Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne from DS Penske finished first and second. However, Jaguar had mixed luck, with Mitch Evans recovering from a transmission shaft issue in FP2 to finish third, while championship leader Nick Cassidy was eliminated after an impressive lap by Muller.
In Group B, Max Guenther finished first, but his heavy 40-grid position penalty due to gearbox change before FP2 will hinder his chances. Wehrlein and Edoardo Mortara followed, with Sam Bird, Antonio Felix da Costa, and current world champion Jake Dennis also advancing to the duels.
Quarterfinals
The dominant display of Jaguar from last season seems unlikely to be repeated, as Mitch Evans was defeated by Vergne by over a tenth of a second in their duel. Evans attributed his performance to lack of track time in FP2.
Nico Muller, despite his impressive lap in Group B, could not face Vergne in the duel due to damage to the front right suspension after hitting the wall. Vergne set a time of 1:12.917, almost a tenth faster than his teammate, setting up a showdown in the semifinals between the two Penske drivers.
Wehrlein showed his superiority over Mortara, setting a time half a second faster than the Swiss driver. Mortara can still take pride in reaching the duels after facing a car issue in FP2.
Guenther, determined to minimize the impact of his grid penalty, overcame the challenge of Bird in their duel, showcasing the balanced and consistent performance of Maserati in Season 10.
Semifinals
The semifinal between the two Penske drivers saw Vandoorne surpassing his teammate, setting a time of 1:12.566, seven tenths faster than Vergne.
In the semifinal between Wehrlein and Guenther, the Porsche driver resisted the strong challenge from Maserati, securing the victory with a time of 1:12.764, setting the stage for an exciting final duel.
Final
Vandoorne aimed to secure a second consecutive Pole Position in São Paulo for Penske, solidifying their reputation as a rising team in 2024. However, Porsche’s significant improvements in qualifying compared to last season were evident once again. Wehrlein clinched the top spot by just two thousandths of a second, with a lap time of 1:12.789. This victory earned the German driver three additional points and set the stage for a highly competitive race.
© 2024
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