Formula E title contender Lucas di Grassi set the pace in Montreal ePrix first practice on Saturday, with Nicolas Prost fastest in the second session as Sebastien Buemi crashed out.
Abt driver di Grassi kicked off a crucial weekend for him in the best possible way, by topping the timesheets in Saturday’s opening practice.
He put in a 1:22.451 with 200kW qualifying power at the bumpy Montreal street circuit, to go over one second quicker than New York winner Sam Bird.
However, the DS Virgin Racing driver only used 170kW race mode. Jean-Eric Vergne was third for Techeetah, ahead of points leader Buemi.
Like di Grassi, Buemi also used qualifying mode, but he hit traffic in the final sector and backed out of it.
Prost finished fifth in the second Renault e.dams entry, with Mitch Evans and Felix Rosenqvist next up on the leaderboard.
Prost was fastest in second practice, but all eyes were on Buemi after a huge crash late in the session, which cut on-track running short.
The Swiss racer clipped the inside wall at the chicane, which pitched him into the exit barrier at high speed. He was able to climb out unaided, but his car took heavy damage.
The session was abandoned with five minutes remaining as a result. It happened just minutes before Prost went quickest with a 1:22.180, relegating Vergne to P2.
Rosenqvist, Stephane Sarrazin, Nick Heidfeld and Bird completed the top six, while di Grassi did not do a 200kW lap and was 16th.
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