We go green again in Shanghai for the second leg of the Formula E Asian Triple header, as the racing weekend action begins with FP1. Last time out, Andretti had secured an impressive race win in Sanya , albeit the emotional weekend was marred by recently renewed Felipe Drugovich missing out on a podium finish due to a post race time penalty.
Session begins
Light rain is announced on the radio to Oliver Rowland as the Nissan man gets out on track, and, just like it was anticipated, drops begin to pour on the Chinese asphalt. After the usual FCY simulation, drivers were able to resume their lapping.
Rowland mentions issues with steering, returning immediately to the pits for checking. The weather conditions don’t affect the majority of the grid, with all the other contenders out.
Ten minutes into the session, Wehrlein leads from Vergne under the pouring rain. With the track getting wetter and wetter, more drivers begin to have issues, as Dennis runs wide off track
At the halfway point of the session, the Porsche man is still fastest on track, with his 1:09.259 benchmark the best two tenths from Vergne and Mueller. However, he too begins to encounter troubles with the increasing lack of grip caused by humidity, as he cuts through several turns.
Late Formula E Shanghai FP1 struggles for several top players
With ten minutes into the session, even more rain drops on Shanghai, as Evans returns to the pits. Adding to the chaos, Buemi spins out and Martì runs wide at Turn 11. The Envision man asks for the temperatures and status of his brakes.
Only Vergne, Nato and Da Costa remain out on track. They are joined by Wehrlein with 8 minutes to go. Nato runs wide into the runoff at Turn 6, lacking grip with the slippery tarmac.
In the final moments of the session, Ticktum attempted to set a fast lap. However, the damp track didn’t allow him to improve his earlier position.
