Madrid – Qualifying: Nick Cassidy gives Citroën their first pole position

The twenty pilots of Formula E They set off for a tricky qualifying session on a greasy and wet Jarama circuit. Rarely used the rest of the year, the Spanish track proved particularly dirty and slippery, in a chilly 9°C. After free practice sessions marked by numerous first-corner off-track excursions, the competitors once again flirted with the track limits during this timed exercise. But towards the end of the session, on a drying track, the final came down to Nick Cassidy and Nyck de VriesWith tires warmed up better, the New Zealander set the fastest overall time of the session, giving Citroën a historic pole position, the eighth of his career. Too eager, de Vries paid for his overconfidence by losing first place.

While in contention for a front-row start, Norman Nato made a mistake at the same spot as Maximilian Günther in the previous round, thus losing his place in the final to Nick Cassidy. In the quarter-finals, Pascal Wehrlein made a mistake at turn 7, suffering a severe lack of grip on his PorscheThis gave António Félix da Costa a 4,5-second lead. Oliver Rowland, meanwhile, lost control of his Nissan exiting turn 3, a spin that cost him 9,9 seconds against Nyck de Vries. A rare blunder from the champion, who was thus condemned to start in the middle of the pack.

Rowland spins in the quarter finals meaning he won't advance to the seeding🌀#FormulaE #CupraRavalMadridPrix pic.twitter.com/cDCW0kn1nC

— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) March 21, 2026

The duel between Nick Cassidy and Edoardo Mortara proved much closer, but against all odds, the Citroën driver emerged victorious by a mere 47 thousandths of a second. Also of note was Maximilian Günther's off-track excursion, trapped in the gravel at the hands of Norman Nato.

Formula E – Madrid E-Prix
The starting order

The results of the duels

Group A: The Mahindra Surprise

Driving a very competitive Mahindra in relatively greasy conditions, Nyck de Vries dominated the proceedings. The Dutchman controlled the first qualifying session from start to finish, leading a very tight field where only five tenths of a second separated the top four. António Félix da Costa also looked very comfortable in his Jaguar, setting the second fastest time in the first part of the session. Reigning world champion Oliver Rowland (Nissan) did what was necessary, but only managed fourth place in the head-to-head qualifying.

Local favorite Pepe Martí unfortunately couldn't make it through, finishing only sixth at the checkered flag. Struggling more in the wet and cold conditions, Citroën driver Jean-Éric Vergne had to settle for ninth place for the French marque.

Group B: Norman Nato in charge

While Nico Müller initially set a benchmark, it was ultimately Frenchman Norman Nato who left no doubt about his time. Edoardo Mortara, one of the title contenders, qualified second and advances to the head-to-head round. Maximilian Günther made the most of the day, securing his place in the head-to-head, ahead of Dan Ticktum who missed out by a mere 42 thousandths of a second.

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