Mahindra stamped its authority at the Monaco E-Prix Practice sessions before Qualifying 1, with Nyck de Vries topping both FP1 and FP2 around the streets of the Principality.
The Dutchman first went fastest in FP1 with a late 1:27.050, then lowered the benchmark to a 1:26.664 in FP2 as Mahindra backed up its early pace. Edoardo Mortara strengthened the team’s position by completing a one-two in second practice, while Mitch Evans kept Jaguar in the mix in third.
The field still had to deal with low grip, track evolution and the usual Monaco margins. Zane Maloney interrupted FP2 with a crash at Turn 4, while track limits also caught out several drivers as they pushed for clean laps.
With Mahindra carrying clear momentum and the rest of the field still chasing the sweet spot, Qualifying 1 promised to reveal who could convert practice pace into grid position on Formula E’s most unforgiving street circuit.
Group A
The first group was underway for the first 10-minute session in Qualifying 1. With both Porsche and both DS Penske drivers out, all eyes were on Edoardo Mortara, being the best qualifier in Season 12. The Mahindra driver was still in the pits. Before the rest of Group A went for their push laps, Mortara was hit with car trouble and was out of the running.
Meanwhile, the Porsche duo looked strong, alongside Maximilian Günther and Dan Ticktum. Wehrlein topped the timesheets after swapping with his teammate, Nico Müller. Jake Dennis bumped up to fourth but was pushed out by Günther. The DS Penske driver put in a strong lap, landing in second, and into the Duels.
Through to the Duels: Wehrlein, Günther, Müller and Ticktum
Group B
Next in line was Group B as they went out for their first warm-up laps. Mitch Evans led the way for the majority of the first half, until Norman Nato briefly topped the timesheets. Nick Cassidy pushed his way to the top until Evans claimed his spot back.
With more flying laps coming in, Nyck de Vries set a new fast lap, while Joel Eriksson stuck to P2. The Mahindra driver was having a better session than his teammate, who had to sit out of Qualifying 1. António Félix da Costa did not want to be left out, taking the last spot for the Duel stages.
Oliver Rowland was on thin ice after not setting any meaningful times, but in the last seconds, the Nissan driver slotted into fourth. Meanwhile, Evans was flying around the streets of Monaco, taking P1. Eriksson seemed to finally find his footing as he took the final spot for the Duel stages.
Through to the Duels: Evans, de Vries, da Costa and Eriksson
Quarter Finals
First up in the Monaco E-Prix Qualifying 1 Duel Stages were Günther and Müller, the first time both drivers are battling each other in a Formula E Qualifying session. The were head-to-head entering the first corners, but the German driver took the advantage in the second sector, leaving Müller behind.
The second duo to battle it out were Ticktum and Wehrlein. Although Ticktum initially looked wide, he was up by a couple of tenths. The Cupra Kiro driver looked comfortable, ultimately beating the Porsche driver, moving into the Semi Finals.
The third Quarter Final saw da Costa lose the rear of his car as he went over the crest at Beau Rivage, handing de Vries the advantage. The Mahindra driver took his third Quarter Final, over a second ahead of da Costa.
Up last were Evans and Eriksson. The Envision driver took the first sector, but Evans did not stand down. The Jaguar driver was stronger in the second sector, bumping his time up over a tenth. The Swede gave it his all but Evans kept in clean, beating Eriksson by over two tenths.
Semi Finals
The Semi Finals were set and it was Günther and Ticktum against each other first. It was close during the first sectors, but Ticktum has the advantage over the German Driver. Günther was in the wall coming out of Tabac, but instead of keeping it clean, Ticktum also clipped the barrier. Despite the incident, Ticktum held it together and moved on to the final.
Taking the final spot in the battle for Pole was de Vries. The Mahindra driver quickly gained the upper hand in the first sector, while Evans caught up. De Vries lost time at Portier but quickly rebuilt his lead.
Finals
It was Dan Ticktum versus Nyck de Vries. Who came out on top?
Ticktum was the fastest going into the first sector, despite his earlier incident in the Semi Finals. The British driver put in a cleaner driver out of the swimming pool chicane. De Vries came close to catching the Cupra Kiro, but it just wasn’t enough.
Dan Ticktum brought it home in Pole after Qualifying 1 of the Formula E Monaco E-Prix 2026. This is the second-ever Pole Position in his Formula E career.
