di Grassi surges to FE pole in Santiago for Audi

Audi’s Lucas di Grassi stormed to the fourth pole position of his FIA Formula E career at the Santiago E-Prix, finishing over half a second clear of the field. 

The Brazilian, whose last FE pole came at the 2017 Montreal E-Prix during his title-winning campaign, turned in a stunning lap in SuperPole to head his rivals on a 1m08.290s. 

Nissan e.dams driver Sebastien Buemi, who clouted the wall during the opening practice session, ultimately had no answer to di Grassi’s pace and had to settle for a front-row start alongside his long-time FE rival, some 0.526s adrift. 

Ex-Formula 1 driver Pascal Wehrlein impressed for Mahindra in just his second FE qualifying session as he set the pace across the initial heats before winding up a lap that was good enough for third on the grid. 

Daniel Abt was over 0.6s slower than Audi teammate di Grassi as he settled for the second row, with HWA Racelab’s Stoffel Vandoorne enjoying another promising outing as he sealed fifth on the grid in his first Super Pole appearance, ahead of the Audi-powered Virgin Racing car of Sam Bird. 

Both di Grassi (technical infringement regarding brakes) and Vandoorne (failing to follow Super Pole procedure) are under investigation. 

Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara turned in a strong lap and was the first driver who narrowly missed out on a spot in Super Pole in seventh place, while Dragon’s Maximilian Gunther secured a strong eighth on the grid. 

Alexander Sims was the fastest of the BMW-Andretti runners in ninth, with ex-F1 driver Felipe Massa, who secured his best FE qualifying result so far in 10th. 

The second Dragon of Jose Maria Lopez was 11th, ahead of Jaguar’s Mitch Evans and reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne, who could only manage the 13th-fastest time and was left frustrated by the effects of track evolution, as he fell down the order having run in the first group. 

Britain’s Oliver Rowland was unable to match the pace of Nissan e.dams teammate Buemi as he took 14th, ahead of Techeetah’s Andre Lotterer and Virgin Racing’s Robin Frijns, who had looked quick throughout practice but ended up 16th. 

HWA’s Gary Paffett set an identical time to Frijns and will line up from 17th on the grid, ahead of 2018/19 race-winner Antonio Felix da Costa, Oliver Turvey and Nelson Piquet Jr in 20th. 

Championship leader and Marrakesh winner Jerome d’Ambrosio joins NIO’s Tom Dillmann on the back row of the grid after he endured a scruffy run in the opening group of runners.