Formula E in Sao Paulo: World Champion Wehrlein Secures Thrilling Pole Position in Season’s First Qualifying
By Timo Pape, December 7, 2024, 3:12 PM
Pascal Wehrlein clinched the first pole position of the new 2024/25 Formula E season in Sao Paulo! In a thrilling showdown against Oliver Rowland from Nissan, the Porsche driver turned the tables just before the end, securing not only the top starting spot but also the first three World Championship points. Jake Dennis from Andretti and Max Günther from DS Penske earned spots in the second row. Meanwhile, Jaguar’s Mitch Evans faced a significant setback.
Group A: Fresh Energy in the Group Stage – Dennis Takes the Lead
Typically, qualifying groups are organized based on the current championship standings. However, at the start of the season, the eleven teams have the liberty to choose which of their drivers will compete in each group. This results in every team being represented once in each group. Among the frontrunners in Group A were Oliver Rowland and Jake Dennis, but several other fast drivers were also on the track. In the initial minutes, Sam Bird topped the leaderboard, with Lucas di Grassi, Antonio Felix da Costa, and David Beckmann trailing behind.
However, unlike in previous years, not all drivers made pit stops to change tires, leading to a different dynamic on the track. Instead of setting the fastest laps at six and twelve minutes, times were consistently beaten, with Jake Dennis among those improving his performance. After completing a quick lap, Dennis communicated over the radio, saying, „The tires are done.“ This was due to the new, softer Hankook tires having a significantly narrower temperature range for optimal performance. Despite setting his fastest time relatively early, Dennis was exceptionally quick.
The Briton maintained his lead even after time ran out. Alongside him, Felix da Costa, Rowland, and Jean-Eric Vergne secured their spots in the duel phase. However, disappointment struck the reigning champion team, Jaguar, as Nick Cassidy finished in fifth place. Following him were Sebastien Buemi, di Grassi, last year’s winner Bird, Jake Hughes, Beckmann, and Nyck de Vries.
Group A has completed its round, and Dennis, Da Costa, Rowland, and Vergne have all qualified for the Duels! #SaoPauloEPrix pic.twitter.com/20NdSIQ19e — Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) December 7, 2024
Group B: Wehrlein Matches Dennis, Setback for Evans
In Group B, reigning world champion Pascal Wehrlein and his competitor Mitch Evans took to the track. The „Kiwi,“ who had claimed victory at the Sao Paulo E-Prix two years prior, found himself halted on the circuit just three and a half minutes in—similar to what happened during the second practice session. It was suspected that his emergency brake might have been triggered, but even his team principal, James Barclay, was uncertain. The race officials paused the session with red flags.
? RED FLAG ? Mitch Evans from Jaguar Racing has come to a halt on the track, resulting in his elimination from the qualifying session at the Sao Paulo E-Prix. pic.twitter.com/9M8jwGQvri — Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) December 7, 2024
During the team radio communication, his race engineer instructed Evans to perform a „power cycle“ to restart his vehicle. Although he managed to get moving again briefly, he soon experienced repeated stops due to a „Brake System Error 535.“ The Jaguar crept back to the pit at a snail’s pace, marking a disastrous season opener for the team. After a pause of just over ten minutes, the session resumed with only seven minutes remaining.
The first impressive time was set by Wehrlein, comparable to the pace of Group A winner Dennis. Edo Mortara moved up to second place with a strong lap. Stoffel Vandoorne followed in third, while Dan Ticktum and Norman Nato were competing for fourth place. After time ran out, Max Günther unexpectedly improved to third place, where he stayed. Wehrlein topped his group ahead of Mortara. Nato also advanced to the duels in fourth place. The remaining positions were occupied by Vandoorne, Ticktum, Robin Frijns, Nico Müller, Taylor Barnard, Zane Maloney, and the unlucky Evans.
Overview: The Sao Paulo Formula E Qualifying Quarterfinals
Quarterfinal 1: Oliver Rowland vs. Antonio Felix da Costa
The first quarterfinal was anticipated to be a closely contested battle. Rowland had a strong start, initially clocking in almost two-tenths of a second faster than Felix da Costa. However, in the second sector, Felix da Costa began to close the gap. During this time, Rowland reported steering issues over the radio. Despite having to concede the third sector to Felix da Costa, Rowland managed to secure a place in the semifinals by a narrow margin of six hundredths of a second!
Quarter-Final 1 featured a tight race between Rowland and Da Costa, with only a 0.060-second difference separating them. Oliver Rowland advanced to the Semi-Finals. #SaoPauloEPrix pic.twitter.com/LERH73lE98 — Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) December 7, 2024
Quarter-Final 1 featured a tight race between Rowland and Da Costa, with only a 0.060-second difference separating them. Oliver Rowland advanced to the Semi-Finals. #SaoPauloEPrix pic.twitter.com/LERH73lE98
VF2: Jean-Eric Vergne versus Jake Dennis
In the second matchup, Dennis secured a solid victory. The British driver from Andretti outpaced the experienced Vergne in all three sectors, ultimately finishing more than half a second ahead. With this performance, the 2023 World Champion confidently advanced to the semifinals.
VF3: Max Günther vs. Edo Mortara
In the third quarter-final, Günther had a slightly stronger start. During the second part of the track, he was three-tenths of a second faster than Mortara, who had previously impressed during the group stage. Despite both competitors being evenly matched in Sector 3, Günther ultimately secured a clear victory with a lead of over three-tenths of a second.
VF4: Norman Nato vs. Pascal Wehrlein
In the final quarterfinal match-up, Norman Nato started strongly by clocking a faster sector time than Pascal Wehrlein. However, Wehrlein, the reigning world champion from Germany, dominated the second segment. In the final stretch, both racers were nearly evenly matched. Crossing the finish line, Wehrlein outpaced Nato by 1.22 seconds, securing the last spot in the semifinals. Fans could now look forward to an all-British and an all-German showdown in the next round.
Quarter-Final 4: Nato vs. Wehrlein
The current world champion, Pascal Wehrlein, has progressed to the Semi-Finals! ⚡️#SaoPauloEPrix pic.twitter.com/XG9y3nJycP
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) December 7, 2024
Semifinal Matchup
SF1: Oliver Rowland vs. Jake Dennis
In this showdown between the qualifying titans, a first in the Gen3 era, the favorite contenders for pole position faced off. Rowland kicked off with a noticeably superior first sector during the fast laps. However, Dennis claimed the second sector, setting up an exciting contest as anticipated. Despite Dennis closing the gap in Sector 3, it wasn’t enough; he ended up a mere thousandth of a second slower than Rowland, resulting in his defeat. Rowland advances to the final!
In the first semi-final, the contest between Rowland and Dennis was incredibly close, with a mere 0.001 seconds difference between them! Oliver Rowland has advanced to the final round of the Duels. #SaoPauloEPrix pic.twitter.com/HFq2E5duIU — Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) December 7, 2024
Max Günther vs. Pascal Wehrlein: The Duel
Back in March, Max Günther and Pascal Wehrlein faced off during the qualifying rounds in São Paulo, where Wehrlein came out on top. This time around, the Porsche driver once again excelled, taking the lead in the first sector. Wehrlein extended his advantage over Günther by another tenth of a second in the second part of the track, ultimately increasing his lead by two more tenths. As a result, Wehrlein advanced confidently to the final against Rowland with nearly a half-second lead. Günther will begin the race from the second row in fourth position.
Semi-Final 2: Günther vs. Wehrlein. Pascal Wehrlein advances triumphantly to the Finals of the Duels! #SaoPauloEPrix pic.twitter.com/bWzfEqeEzI — Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) December 7, 2024
Final Showdown: Oliver Rowland vs. Pascal Wehrlein
These two had faced off once before, in the quarterfinals of the Misano E-Prix, where Wehrlein emerged victorious. However, this time, Rowland had a better start, gaining an early lead of almost two-tenths of a second over Wehrlein. In the second sector, the German driver made a comeback, leveling the playing field. In a dramatic turn of events, Wehrlein managed to overtake Rowland in the final stretch, winning by a mere 99 milliseconds! This victory secured him the pole position and the first three championship points for the reigning world champion. It marks the seventh pole position in Formula E for the 30-year-old.
The current world champion sets a standard. Check out the moment when @PWehrlein clinched the @JuliusBaer Pole Position in São Paulo! #SaoPauloEPrix pic.twitter.com/8nrYo8bkaw
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) December 7, 2024
The opening race of the 2024/25 Formula E World Championship is scheduled for early Saturday evening at 6 PM (CET). The German broadcaster DF1 will air the Sao Paulo E-Prix live on free television and via a livestream on df1.de. As usual, e-Formel.de will provide live updates and commentary on the race in Brazil through its Formula E live ticker, making it an ideal „second-screen“ option for dedicated fans!
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