Group Stages
The drivers entered their second qualifying of the weekend, picking up tips and tricks from the other drivers around them. For those who didn’t perform well in qualifying for race one, this was an opportunity to try something new and climb higher up the field.
Group A
Following from the qualifying for race 1, the drivers in group A and B were decided by their current championship place – odd vs even numbers.
Group A included the odd numbered drivers in the championship: Cassidy, Ticktum, Buemi, Da Costa, Van Der Linde, Sette Camara, Nato, Bird, Hughes, Vandoorne and Dennis.
Yesterday’s poleman Seb Buemi looked quick off the mark, using his experience to get to grips with the track conditions quickly. Similarly, championship leader Jake Dennis set the pace early on in the session, looking to make it into the duels and capitalise on his spectacular race pace.
The blistering pace of rookie Jake Hughes was no surprise after his recent qualifying performances, taking P3 in his debut race and P2 on the grid for race one in Diriyah.
With around half of the 12 minute session gone, all drivers made their way into the pits for some fresh tyres. This was a different strategy from yesterday’s quali as all the drivers chose to capitalise on the new rubber and tyre temperatures before their final runs.
Lap times tumbled as the clock ticked down, the top 4 became a revolving door of drivers with nobody staying within it for very long as quicker times were posted. As the flag dropped, nobody could be sure who was going to advance
Sam Bird set the time to beat at a 1m 9.6s, but those behind were pulling in purple and green sectors. Prior to final runs, the top 4 were Bird, Ticktum, Cassidy and Da Costa.
Huge laps from Buemi, Vandoorne and Dennis saw them into the top 4, pushing Bird onto the cusp of relegation. Bird looked to have held on before Mclaren man Jake Hughes set the timesheets alight, stealing P1 in Group A and forcing Bird out of the duels.
After his return to the podium less than 24 hours before, Bird would not advance through the group. In a surprising return to form, reigning champion Stoffel Vandoorne in the DS Penske made it into the duels for the first time this season after starting 14th and 17th in the first two races.
Through to the duels:
- Jake Hughes, NEOM Mclaren
- Sébastien Buemi, Envision Racing
- Stoffel Vandoorne, DS Penske
- Jake Dennis, Avalanche Andretti
Group B
The remaining 11 drivers: Vergne, Wehrlein, Evans, Fenestraz, Lotterer, Günther, Mortara, Rast, Di Grassi, Rowland and Muller.
With the track rubbered in, the group B drivers set very competitive times from the outset and matched those from group A.
All was calm in the first runs as the drivers got a feel for the track and pushed the limits of braking in every lap. Like those in group A, pitting for new tyres was the preferred strategy by all drivers.
Prior to final runs the order was: Evans, Wehrlein, Fenestraz, and Rast.
When the session came to an end, the Maserati drivers made huge jumps up the field with both cars. Mortara pushed his teammate Günther out of the top 4 spots, hanging onto the last position and praying nobody would knock him out.
Evans stole top spot from Rast in the end, crossing the line last to top the group and advance into the duels ahead of Rast, Wehrlein and surprise result Edo Mortara.
After a miserable Friday in Diriyah, the Maserati team qualified well and put themselves in a good place for scoring points in the race. In opposite fashion, the other DS Penske driver Vergne couldn’t capitalise on the pace as his teammate Vandoorne did and will start the race in the thick of the lower midfield.
Through to the duels:
- Mitch Evans, Jaguar TCS Racing
- Rene Rast, NEOM Mclaren
- Pascal Wehrlein, TAG Heuer Porsche
- Edoardo Mortara, Maserati MSG
The Quarter Finals
Heading into the duels, the quarter finals were as follows:
- Vandoorne v Buemi
- Dennis v Hughes
- Wehrlein v Rast
- Mortara v Evans
Quarter Final 1 – Vandoorne v Buemi
After recent struggles from Vandoorne this season, being up against the previous pole sitter put all the pressure on his shoulders. Buemi followed Vandoorne out, looking to replicate his performance from yesterday.
The gap between the two experienced racers was constantly changing, they were split by no more than 2 hundredths throughout the first part of the lap. Vandoorne pushed slightly too much in the second half of the lap, losing a tenth and finishing behind Buemi.
Buemi advanced to the semi-finals.
Quarter Final 2 – Dennis v Hughes
The two British Jakes left the pits, both eager to beat the other. The two looked to be driving on ice, sliding around and correcting the car but at the same time being fully in control.
Hughes held a healthy advantage over Dennis and came across the line to set the fastest lap of the weekend at the time – 1m 8.7s. Dennis did not put a foot wrong, beating the lap of Vandoorne but being almost half a second away from the lightning Mclaren rookie.
Hughes advanced to the semi-finals
Quarter Final 3 – Wehrlein v Rast
Winner from race 1 Pascal Wehrlein faced returning Rene Rast. Wehrlein left the pits first, losing time to Rast in sector 1 and pushing hard to regain the lost time in sectors 2 and 3.
Rast crossed the line to finish ahead of Pascal Wehrlein and put both Mclarens through to the semi-finals.
Crucially, Wehrlein’s lap was good enough to be ahead of title rival Jake Dennis on the grid as the two are separated by only one point heading into the 3rd race of the season.
Rast advanced to the semi-finals.
Quarter Final 4 – Mortara v Evans
Mortara, though a surprise appearance in the duels, was looking to impress and capitalise on the pace of his Maserati machine.
Evans commanded the fight, holding a lead of a few tenths over Mortara throughout the lap and keeping it clean to extend the lead and advance into the semi-finals. Mortara would start the race in P7, beating the lap from Vandoorne earlier in the session.
Evans advanced through to the semi-finals.
The Semi Finals
The next duels were as follows:
- Buemi v Hughes
- Evans v Rast
Semi Final 1 – Buemi v Hughes
These two drivers occupied the front row in race 1, fighting for pole position in yesterday’s qualifying with Buemi on top. Hughes looked to fight back against the Envision racer, making up for yesterday.
The rookie opened the lap with a huge advantage after just a few corners, dominating the duel and despite Buemi clawing back some time he finished over 2 and a half tenths ahead.
Jake Hughes advanced to the finals for the second time this weekend.
Semi Final 2 – Evans v Rast
Evans and Rast came together in race one when Evans locked up and piled into the side of Rast, sending him wide and picking up a 5 second penalty.
Both drivers want to beat the other, pushing the limits and finding time through the lap. Rast has never started on the front row of a Formula E race and with the possibility of a Mclaren front row lockout, the pressure was on. Evans kept his cool and came home to beat the returning Rast by over 2 tenths.
Evans secured his place in the final, Rast will start P3 for his best result of the season.
The Final – Evans v Hughes
Hughes is back in the final wit pole position staring him down for the second time in 24 hours. Evans is through the final for the first time this season.
The Mclaren driver builds an early lead, showing his skill in the tight and twisty sector one. Evans claws back the time, finding over 2 tenths in the second half of the lap but finishing the lap slower than his semi-final time.
The two drivers were separated by almost nothing as they rounded the final corner, Hughes snatches pole from Evans in the last corner. He will lead the field away in the race for the first time in his debut season.
Jake Hughes is the only driver on the grid to start in the top 3 for every race this season – P3 in Mexico, P2 in Diriyah race 1 and P1 in Diriyah race 2.
Can Hughes hold onto the top spot in the race?