Qualifying for the 2025 Shanghai E-Prix, Round 11, was anything but routine. The originally scheduled session time was brought forward by an hour to avoid worsening weather conditions. That did not help as race control had to delay the start further until 9:45 a.m. local time. The most chaotic qualifying session of the season then took place. Officials were forced to cancel the Duels stage altogether.
[adrotate banner=”10″]
Get 10% off all official F1 Merch at TheRaceWorks.com using code ‘EF1‘ at checkout.
Group A: The “Clean” Session
Despite the rain, the 2025 Shanghai E-Prix Round 11 Qualifying Group A managed to get through its session without major incidents. It was Nick Cassidy who set the time to beat at 1:31.305 for Jaguar TCS Racing. That was enough to secure the top spot on the timesheets. Pascal Wehrlein slotted into second, followed by Jake Hughes and Nyck de Vries.
Maximilian Günther, fresh off his win the day before, could only manage P5. Zane Maloney, Mitch Evans, and Edoardo Mortara all failed to challenge for the top spots, while Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato ended their sessions in P9 and P11, respectively.
Group B: The “Fun” Session
If Group A was wet, Group B was essentially underwater. Rain continued to fall steadily as the second group headed out. Onboard in-helmet cameras showed water sheeting off visors and small rivers flowing across the track. António Félix da Costa topped the early times with a 1:32.952, followed by Lucas di Grassi, Jean-Éric Vergne, and Stoffel Vandoorne.
Vandoorne, Taylor Barnard, and Robin Frijns were issued black-and-white flags for driving unnecessarily slowly. Somewhat ironic given the conditions. Eventually, Sébastien Buemi lost control through Turn 5, spinning multiple times before coming to rest in the gravel. He drove the Envision away under its own power, but a red flag was thrown with 4:04 remaining.
The session resumed briefly. However, with just 1:36 left on the clock, a second red flag came out, locking in the order. That left Beckmann, both Andretti drivers, both McLaren drivers, and both Envision drivers outside the top four and unable to respond.
Duels Canceled: Cassidy Claims Pole, Grid Set by Group Times
With the weather causing incidents and limited time remaining, race control cancelled the Duels stage and opted to set the grid using group session times. Cassidy, with the fastest lap of the session, took provisional pole position thanks to his 1:31.305 in Group A.
António Félix da Costa will start alongside him on the front row, followed by Wehrlein and di Grassi, then Hughes and Vergne, with de Vries and Vandoorne completing the top eight. Interestingly, since pole was awarded without a Duel Final, the stewards will decide whether Cassidy earns the three points for pole.
Per race control, Group A drivers will start on the left side of the grid and Group B on the right. For Cassidy and Jaguar TCS Racing, it’s a welcome redemption after a frustrating Saturday. Other drivers will be hoping for a break, or maybe another storm, to shake things up for the race in a few hours.
*
As the 2025 Shanghai E-Prix Round 11 qualifying session came to a bit of an abnormal end, see how it all plays out in the race (pending more weather delays) at 11:05 p.m. local time.
Featured Image Credit: Formula E Media Centre
[adrotate banner=”10″]
Get 10% off all official F1 Merch at TheRaceWorks.com using code ‘EF1‘ at checkout.