Müller sets pace for Audi in Marrakesh FE rookie test

Audi test and reserve driver Nico Müller ended the Formula E rookie test in Marrakesh with the fastest time for the second consecutive year. 

Driving for reigning teams’ champions Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler in the test reserved exclusively for drivers who have not raced in the all-electric series before, Müller led the way in the morning session before setting scintillating pace in the afternoon. 

The 26-year-old Audi DTM regular’s 1m17.074s benchmark time was nearly half a second faster than Sam Bird’s polelap for Virgin Racing at the Marrakesh E-Prix. 

DS Techeetah development driver James Rossiter was second-fastest and just 0.115s adrift of Müller’s effort, with GEOX Dragon junior and Formula 2 ace Antonio Fuoco a further tenth back in third. 

Sauber Formula 1 development driver Tatiana Calderon once again impressed in her second FE outing with Techeetah, setting the second-quickest time in the morning before not returning after the lunch break as Rossiter ran in the second car. 

F2 frontrunner Nyck de Vries was fifth for the Virgin squad, ahead of Nissan e.dams’ Jan Mardenborough, BMW’s Bruno Spengler and 2018 Blancpain GT Series champion Raffaele Marciello, who was the fastest of the two HWA runners. 

Rounding out the top 10 came the Venturi pair headed by Arthur Leclerc, the younger brother of new Ferrari F1 driver Charles, and newly announced reserve driver Norman Nato.

Ex-Williams F1 driver Sergey Sirotkin finished just over a second off the pace on his FE debut, narrowly pipping the fellow Mahindra of Sam Dejonghe and the second Nissan e.dams piloted by 2017 Japanese F3 champion Mitsunori Takaboshi.

DTM race-winner Jamie Green ended the day 14th for Audi, ahead of 2019 Haas F1 team test driver Pietro Fittipaldi (Jaguar), Daniel Juncadella (HWA), and the second Jaguar driver Harry Tincknell, with FE debutant and three-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann 18th for BMW. 

F3 Asian Championship runner-up and GP3 regular Jake Hughes was the highest-placed NIO driver thanks to his morning’s effort that put him 19th overall, ahead of experienced sportscar driver and three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Benoit Treluyer (Virgin).

Briton’s Jamie Chadwick ended the day with the slowest time, while former Sauber F1 driver and reigning IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar champion Felipe Nasr failed to even turn a wheel for Dragon after reported contractual issues. 

FIA Formula E Marrakesh rookie test - Morning times

1. Nico Müller SWI Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 1m17.532s
2. Tatiana Calderon COL DS Techeetah 1m17.674s
3. Bruno Spengler CAN BMW i Andretti Motorsport 1m17.747s 
4. James Rossiter GBR DS Techeetah 1m18.176
5. Pietro Fittipaldi BRA Panasonic Jaguar Racing 1m18.403s
6. Daniel Juncadella SPA HWA Racelab 1m18.574s
7. Sam Dejonghe BEL Mahindra Racing 1m18.643s
8. Sergey Sirtokin RUS Mahindra Racing 1m18.754s
9. Marco Wittmann GER BMW i Andretti Motorsport 1m18.768s
10. Harry Tincknell GBR Panasonic Jaguar Racing 1m19.020s
11. Jamie Green GBR Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 1m19.039s
12. Antonio Fuoco ITA GEOX Dragon 1m19.367s
13. Jann Mardenborough GBR Nissan e.dams 1m19.443s
14. Jake Hughes GBR NIO Formula E Team 1m19.631s
15. Nyck de Vries NED Envision Virgin Racing 1m20.289s
16. Raffaele Marciello ITA HWA Racelab 1m20.330s
17. Benoit Treluyer FRA Envision Virgin Racing 1m21.187s 
18. Mitsunori Takaboshi JAP Nissan e.dams 1m21.252s
19. Jamie Chadwick GBR NIO Formula E Team 1m22.196s 
20. Arthur Leclerc MON Venturi Formula E Team 1m22.403s
21. Norman Nato FRA Venturi Formula E Team 1m23.395s 
22. Felipe Nasr BRA GEOX Dragon No time set

FIA Formula E Marrakesh rookie test - Afternoon times

1. Nico Müller SWI Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 1m17.074s
2. James Rossiter GBR DS Techeetah 1m17.189s
3. Antonio Fuoco ITA GEOX Dragon 1m17.338s 
4. James Rossiter GBR DS Techeetah 1m17.525s
5. Nyck de Vries NED Envision Virgin Racing 1m17.560s 
6. Jann Mardenborough GBR Nissan e.dams 1m17.672s 
7. Bruno Spengler CAN BMW i Andretti Motorsport 1m17.735s
8. Raffaele Marciello ITA HWA Racelab 1m1m17.763s
9. Arthur Leclerc MON Venturi Formula E Team 1m17.782s 
10. Norman Nato FRA Venturi Formula E Team 1m18.059s
11. Sergey Sirtokin RUS Mahindra Racing 1m18.097s 
12. Sam Dejonghe BEL Mahindra Racing 1m18.155s
13. Mitsunori Takaboshi JAP Nissan e.dams 1m18.229s
14. Jamie Green GBR Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 1m18.250s
15. Daniel Juncadella SPA HWA Racelab 1m18.555s
16. Harry Tincknell GBR Panasonic Jaguar Racing 1m18.623s
17. Marco Wittmann GER BMW i Andretti Motorsport 1m18.727s
18. Pietro Fittipaldi BRA Panasonic Jaguar Racing 1m19.160s
19. Benoit Treluyer FRA Envision Virgin Racing 1m21.181s 
20. Jake Hughes GBR NIO Formula E Team 1m23.329s
21. Jamie Chadwick GBR NIO Formula E Team 1m24.267s 
22. Felipe Nasr BRA GEOX Dragon No time set