Formula e – Lucas di Grassi on pole in Buenos Aires

The route of the Argentine capital offered a rather hectic qualifying session for the third round of the 2016-2017 season of the Formula e, who finally smiled at Lucas di Grassi, author of his first pole in the discipline.

The first part of the session was again marked by several errors on the track, notably from António Félix da Costa (Amlin Andretti), who hit the wall at the start of the chicane, damaging the suspension of his car at the front right.

Other victims on the Buenos Aires track were Ma Qing-Hua (Techeetah) and Daniel Abt (ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport) while Maro Engel lost all power on his Venturi and set the last time.

Even greater disappointment in the DS Virgin Racing clan, since after the best times in free practice of Jose Maria Lopez and Sam Bird, the team failed to reach Super Pole. Sam Bird failed in 10th place, while López made a mistake and damaged his car while the Argentinian had completed his first partial ahead of the best time.

At the end of this first lap which pitted the drivers divided into four groups against each other, Jean-Eric Vergne (Techeetah) emerged in the lead with the best time in 1'08″751 and ahead of Sébastien Buemi (Renault e.dams) by 0″267 and Lucas di Grassi (ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport) by 0″333. Nicholas Cheers (Renault e.dams) fails at the gates of the final part of qualifying while Stéphane Sarrazin (Venturi) and Loïc duval (Faraday Future Dragon Racing) will start from 11th and 14th places.

Also competing for Super Pole were the NEXTEV single-seaters of Oliver Turvey and Nelson Piquet Jr. The latter two, however, each made an error by locking the wheels while braking on their flying lap, excluding them from the race to the front row.

Lucas di Grassi, third to start, set the first Super Pole benchmark in 1'09″404. Guilty of a wheel lockup at the start of his lap, Sébastien Buemi finally places his Renault e.dams single-seater in third position just behind Jean-Eric Vergne who fails 194 thousandths behind the poleman, and who may also regret a lockup wheel in his attempt.

The race will start at 19:50 p.m. and can be followed on Canal + Décalé.

Buenos Aires ePrix qualifying standings