Formula E | Jeddah E-Prix | Qualifying 1 | Mortara takes pole after tight battle with Günther

The stage is set for Qualifying 1 at the Jeddah E-Prix as Formula E’s first double-header weekend of Season 12 continues under the Saudi Arabian night sky. Following two practice sessions that showcased the 3km street circuit, drivers now face the critical task of securing their grid positions for today’s opening race.

What happened so far

The practice sessions delivered an intriguing mix of pace and drama on the challenging Jeddah layout. In FP1, DS PENSKE’s Maximilian Günther set the benchmark with the fastest time, leading Pascal Wehrlein and Jake Dennis. Drivers grappled with track limits and tyre pressure management whilst beginning their preparations for the mandatory PIT BOOST feature that will play a crucial role in race strategy.

FP2 delivered even more excitement as Dan Ticktum impressed by topping the timesheets with a 1:15.343, edging out Dennis and Wehrlein. However, drama struck when reigning World Champion Oliver Rowland clipped the wall at Turn 15, bringing out a red flag and damaging his Nissan. Track limits continued to challenge the field, with multiple drivers struggling to keep their cars in check over the aggressive kerbs. António Félix da Costa and Sébastien Buemi experimented with full-power laps, whilst traffic hampered rookie Pepe Martí’s final flying attempt.

With razor-thin margins separating the competitive times and several drivers yet to show their true pace, Qualifying 1 promises a fiercely contested battle for pole position and the all-important track position advantage on the tight Jeddah street circuit.

Group A

The lights went green in Jeddah and the first group took to the track. Group A featured Nick Cassidy, Jake Dennis, Nico Müller, Edoardo Mortara, Sébastien Buemi, Nyck de Vries, Pepe Martí, Jean-Éric Vergne, Norman Nato, and Lucas di Grassi. These ten drivers had just six minutes to set their fastest lap and fight for a place in the quarter-finals, with only the top four advancing to the next stage of qualifying.

Mortara dominated Group A, clocking a blistering 1:15.336 to lead the session. The Mahindra driver showed the pace that would ultimately end his team’s near two-year wait for pole position. He progressed alongside Nato, Müller, and Vergne, whilst title contenders Cassidy and Dennis suffered shock eliminations. Dennis proved particularly frustrated, describing his car as a “shopping trolley” and venting his anger at the tyres Hankook allocated for qualifying.

Group B

Group B followed with Pascal Wehrlein, Oliver Rowland, Mitch Evans, Joel Eriksson, Taylor Barnard, Maximilian Günther, António Félix da Costa, Zane Maloney, Felipe Drugovich, and Dan Ticktum. Fresh from topping FP2, Ticktum led this group onto the circuit, whilst Rowland sought redemption after his earlier crash brought out the red flag in practice.

Wehrlein set the pace in Group B, with the Season 10 champion joined in the duels by da Costa, Günther, and last season’s Jeddah polesitter Barnard. The shocks continued as Rowland joined Cassidy and Dennis on the list of championship contenders eliminated before the knockout stages, leaving Wehrlein as the only top-four title challenger to progress to the duels. Once again, only the top four advanced as the battle for pole position intensified.

Duels

The knockout duels of the Formula E Jeddah E-Prix Qualifying 1 session commenced with four head-to-head battles. Mortara faced Müller in an all-Swiss affair, with the Mahindra driver’s superior pace proving too much for his compatriot as he advanced to the semi-finals.

In the second quarter-final, Nato demonstrated the speed that secured his Group A qualification, defeating Vergne to keep his podium hopes alive.

The third duel saw Günther overcome da Costa, the DS PENSKE driver showing the form that took him to the top of FP1. The German’s smooth, consistent lap left da Costa on the sidelines.

Wehrlein completed the semi-final lineup by getting the better of Barnard in the final quarter-final. The young Briton’s hopes of repeating last year’s pole position performance ended here, though his progression from Group B remained an encouraging sign.

Mortara continued his dominant qualifying performance in the first semi-final, dispatching Nato despite the Nissan driver’s best efforts. The Mahindra machine looked planted and quick through every sector of the Jeddah circuit.

The second semi-final provided the closest battle of the knockout stages. Wehrlein held the advantage for much of his lap against Günther, but a crucial mistake in the final sector cost the Porsche driver precious time. Günther capitalised on the error to snatch the second spot in the final, though Wehrlein’s time still proved quick enough to secure third on the grid, ahead of Nato.

The final moments

Mortara and Günther lined up for the ultimate shootout for pole position. From the opening sector, Mortara demonstrated why he had been untouchable throughout qualifying. The Swiss-Italian driver built a commanding two-tenths advantage over Günther across the first two sectors.

A heart-stopping moment arrived when Mortara clipped a wall, but his cushion remained intact. Günther pushed hard in the final sector, searching for the time to overcome his rival, but Mortara’s earlier advantage proved insurmountable. The Mahindra driver crossed the line to secure pole position with his 1:15.336, ending Mahindra’s near two-year wait for a pole position and setting himself up perfectly for the opening race of the Jeddah double-header.

Günther settled for second on the grid, with Wehrlein third and Nato fourth rounding out the top positions. For the title contenders eliminated in the group stages, the race ahead presented a significant challenge, recovering from mid-pack positions on a circuit where overtaking opportunities remained limited.

Formula E Jeddah E-Prix Qualifying 1 results