Berlin ePrix 1 qualifying report

By -
Warm temperatures and an abrasive track surface gave drivers additional challenges in the first qualifying session of the Berlin ePrix weekend.

Sam Bird came out on top from the first group, three-tenths clear of Daniel Abt. Both drivers set times in the 1:08 range, giving them a fighting chance of progressing to the Super Pole round. The remaining drivers, Antonio Felix da Costa, Adam Carroll and Robin Frijns, all looked significantly off the pace they set in the free practice sessions.
Jean-Éric Vergne continued his run of good qualifying performances with a provisional P-2 from the second group. Nicolas Prost and Jerome D’Ambrosio took fourth and fifth with tidy laps, with ten drivers still to take to the track. Loïc Duval and Maro Engel brought up the rest of the field
The drama kicked up a notch in the third group. First to cross the timing line, José María López showed he is now much more comfortable in the Formula E car and took P-2. Lucas di Grassi was next, taking the slot behind both DS Virgin cars. Then a stunning run from Felix Rosenqvist changed everything when he took provisional pole. A mistake from Mitch Evans saw him clip the wall, leaving him down in eleventh. Nelson Piquet Jr. could only take tenth.
Group four is usually considered the best set to be drawn in, but Sébastien Buemi couldn't put together a lap capable of challenging the top spots. He struggled with over-steer, and will start down in fourteenth. Nick Heidfeld put together another impressive lap for Mahindra, and joined Rosenqvist in the Super Pole session with a P-3. Oliver Turvey claimed seventh, but neither Tom Dillmann or Stephane Sarrazin could make the top ten.

Super Pole

Di Grassi, who is nursing an ankle injury, took to the track first. His time of 1.08:312 was then the target for Lopez to beat. The DS Virgin driver had a slightly slower first sector, but closed the gap over the remainder of the lap, and crossed the line only one thousandth of a second behind the Abt Schaeffler Audi driver.
Heidfeld couldn't better their times with his attempt. Bird, behind him, struggled with grip and was a second off the pace. Rosenqvist's third place means Mahindra will lock out the second row. Di Grassi therefore claims the three pole position bonus point and start from the front of the grid for round 7 of the championship.

Provisional grid

  1. Lucas di Grassi (Abt Schaeffler Audi)
  2. José María López (DS Virgin)
  3. Felix Rosenqvist (Mahindra)
  4. Nick Heidfeld (Mahindra)
  5. Sam Bird (DS Virgin)

Popular posts from this blog

Why I'll be watching the FA Cup on Setanta

By -
Image
Screen capture by David Murray, all rights reserved. ITV HD © ITV 2009 How difficult can it be to broadcast a football match? I only ask because ITV have been determined on several occasions this season alone to make a ruddy-great hash of it. They've picked the wrong games to show, they've messed up scheduling, they've missed the only goal of a game... and now they've put on a truly shambolic display in high definition, too. I say high definition, but for the majority of last night's Champions League final, it was actually upscaled-SD that we were watching on the ITV HD red button service (they haven't even opted to make it a fully-fledged channel). With poor quality audio. And no clock. We were even treated to a farcical montage of a bespectacled Steve Ryder, bemused Teddy Sheringham and boring shot of a studio floor - twice . It's bad enough having to listen to their sub-standard coverage at the best of times. So from now on, whenever there's a
Read more

The Italian Job

By -
Image
I've seen it once at the cinema, but I couldn't resist watching "The Italian Job" (2003, USA) one more time, if only to compare it with the original I have on DVD. How they can claim that this film is a "re-make" of the original, I'm not really sure. Yes, there's Mini Coopers and a plot based around messing up the traffic systems, but the 1969 version was never about stealing the gold. It was about Charlie: about his own cunning, wit and charm. Croker's character provided everything, from the memorable one-liners to the tragic fall . OK, perhaps the new version brings the action kicking and screaming up-to-date: but where's the charm? "Remember - in this country, they drive on the wrong side of the road" - Charlie Croker (1969) "You should never mess with Mother Nature, mothers-in-law, and mother-freaking Ukrainians" - Skinny Pete (2003)
Read more

Berlin ePrix 2 qualifying report

By -
Mahindra's dominance and news of Sébastien Buemi's disqualification in round seven set up a fascinating qualifying session for the second Berlin ePrix of the weekend. Stephane Sarrazin was the first to take to the track, but despite improving times from the Saturday sessions, he could only take provisional third. Both Mahindra drivers were drawn in the first group, but had mixed fortunes. Rosenqvist set a time in the low 1:08 range, but Nick Heidfeld suffered a problem with his throttle that put him last. Nelson Piquet Jr. took the fourth slot, Maro Engel in provisional P-2. In contrast to many drivers' strategies, Daniel Abt took to the track as soon as the pit lane opened, hoping to time it right and set a fast lap with an empty track ahead of him. It paid off, although his time wasn't enough to beat Rosenqvist. But with both Renaults in the same group, both men were relegated a place when Buemi set a quicker time. Team-mate Nicolas Prost also reached the top five,
Read more