Edoardo Mortara took pole position for Race 1 of the Formula E Jeddah E-Prix double-header after a hugely impressive display.
The Swiss driver was fast and dialled in all the way through the entirety of the session, and toppled Maximilian Guenther in the final duel.
Pascal Wehrlein maintains interest with third spot, followed by Norman Nato and Taylor Barnard, who still has every chance of a maiden Formula E win from fifth.
Groups – Dennis, Rowland, Ticktum & Evans amongst big names to fail to progress
After free practice, the Porsche powertrain looked particularly strong, a world away from the Nissan and Stellantis-dominated weekend of last year.
Nico Mueller in the works car seemed to be making good on that promise, but Norman Nato went quickest during the midway point of group.
Jake Dennis was another of three Porsche-powered cars in the group and was second, but complained of grip issues.
Edoardo Mortara went second, with Jean-Eric Vergne putting his Citroen into fourth.
With the chequered flag out, the inevitable flurry of cars started to filter through. Mortara took first, Nato couldn’t improve but held second. Mueller was third, and Vergne stayed fourth.
Dennis, Nyck de Vries, Nick Cassidy and Miami pole-sitter Sebastien Buemi were the big names to be knocked out.
Group 2 saw Pascal Wehrlein take an early initiative, leading the timesheets by over four tenths from Felipe Drugovich with three minutes left.
Taylor Barnard, took a pole position in Saudi Arabia last year, was sitting in third, with Oliver Rowland, who crashed in FP2, sitting outside the progression zone.
Wehrlein went even faster to take his advantage to five tenths, but Rowland and then da Costa went second, both narrowing the advantage down to two tenths.
Both were quickly shunted down the order by Barnard, Dan Ticktum and Mitch Evans, with less than three tenths covering the first eight cars.
Max Guenther worked his way into second place, to knock his team-mate down to fifth as the chequered flag came out, as Rowland set out to get through to the duels.
Wehrlein went faster again, with Rowland failing to improve and therefore going out, as da Costa went second. Barnard jumped Evans and Ticktum to make fourth, ensuring double DS Penske interest in the knock-outs.
Ticktum and Evans were out, joining Rowland as the big hitters to fail.
Duels – practice pace not enough for Porsche
The first duel was a Francophillic affair, pitching Vergne against Nato.
It was the Nissan that sailed through, getting into the semi-finals with a 1:15.334, just under seven tenths quicker than Vergne.
The second duel was an all-Swiss affair, with Mueller against Mortara.
Shockingly, the strong-looking Porsche was out, as Mortara’s 1:15:515 took him through by over three tenths.
Duel number three put Guenther against da Costa, in what was the German’s first appearance in the duels of the current campaign.
But it was the DS that went through by two tenths, Guenther’s 1:15.473 being the difference.
A mouthwatering prospect in the fourth quarter-final – Barnard against Wehrlein.
Wehrlein was a tenth up by the middle of the lap, and maintained that advantage to the line, his 1:15.510 putting him through.
The first semi-final was Mortara against Nato. The Mahindra was fastest in the first sector, and carried on throughout, his 1:15.242 taking him through by two tenths.
Semi-final number two was the third one-nation duel of the afternoon – Guenther vs Wehrlein.
Wehrlein’s lap was not the tidiest, and that told in the end, as he lost out by just one hundredth of a second, making it a final against the former Maserati team-mates – Guenther and Mortara.
Mortara momentum continues to take pole
In Formula E, the formbook rarely counts for much, but in Guenther’s case, it was a case of deja vu for being at the front. A victor in Jeddah last season, it was now an opportunity to take pole position, but Mortara’s speed had been tremendous all the way through the qualifying afternoon.
Guenther went first with Mortara matching him every step of the way, and despite clipping the wall towards the end of the lap, his 1:15.335 it was he who took pole position.
With the first Pit Boost race now ahead of them, everything was up for grabs, with Mortara in a prime spot to become the oldest-ever FE race-winner.
READ MORE – Formula E 2026 – Jeddah E-Prix Qualifying Results
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