Berlin – Qualifying: Edoardo Mortara secures Mahindra's third pole position of the season

As Berlin prepares to host its 22nd race Formula EThe recent history of the Tempelhof circuit reminds us that pole position there is almost an afterthought. Apart from Mitch Evans' victory in 2025, no driver starting in the top seven has won the last six Berlin races, with Nick Cassidy even triumphing from 20th place. Despite this statistic, the battle for pole position was fierce, confirming Edoardo Mortara's status as the master of the circuit, securing pole for the first race of the Berlin weekend, scheduled for 4:05 PM.

Quarter-finals

The battle phase began with an incisive Oliver Rowland, ready to challenge Felipe Drugovich. Suffering from severe understeer at the second corner, the Brazilian was powerless against the Briton's lap time of 57.350. Immediately afterward, Pascal Wehrlein delivered a blistering final stretch to take the win in 57.374 ahead of Nick Cassidy, while the driver Porsche pointing late into the second sector.

The next duel was a rollercoaster of emotions for Zane Maloney. Thinking he had achieved something special in his first appearance at this level, the young rider was outpaced by the experience of Edoardo Mortara. The Mahindra rider became the first man of the day to break the 57-second barrier with a time of 56.887. Finally, Dan Ticktum confirmed his form by beating Nico Müller in 57.148, securing his first semi-final since the São Paulo E-Prix.

Semifinals

The tension rose a notch in the semi-finals. Pascal Wehrlein had to work hard to break through Rowland's resistance and reach the final in 56.996. There he met an imperious Mortara, who ended Ticktum's run with a time of 57.002.

The final duel pitted two specialists against each other in sweltering 33°C track conditions. While Wehrlein statistically boasted a better history in head-to-head battles, it was ultimately Edoardo Mortara who had the last word. By dominating this final confrontation, the Swiss driver secured his third pole position of the 2026 season and confirmed his status as the undisputed king of the Berlin circuit, now with four pole positions at Tempelhof.

Formula E – Berlin E-Prix
The Qualifications ranking

The results of the duels

Group A:

On home soil, Pascal Wehrlein set the pace during Group A qualifying in Berlin, reaffirming his championship lead. In a session where lap times steadily dropped, the German initially saw Mitch Evans' benchmark time eclipsed by Oliver Rowland with a 1:04.741, before briefly retaking the lead. Despite another attempt from Rowland, the Porsche driver ultimately prevailed, setting a blistering lap of 58.369.

Felipe Drugovich caused a sensation by briefly reaching the top of the leaderboard with a time under one minute, ultimately securing a solid second place. Behind this duo, Oliver Rowland and Nick Cassidy did what was necessary, qualifying for the duels.

Disappointment, however, was the order of the day for the French team. Struggling to find their rhythm on this course, Jean-Éric Vergne and Norman Nato were never able to challenge for the top spots. The two Frenchmen were eliminated in this first phase, thus missing their chance to advance to the final stages.

Group B:

Lucas di Grassi initially took the lead ahead of Nico Müller and Jake Dennis, with lap times still hovering above one minute. However, the Brazilian had a close call when he grazed the wall exiting turn 4, jeopardizing his qualifying position.

Lucas di Grassi clips the wall in qualifying 😱

No red flag and racing continues @Hankook_Sport #BerlinEPrice #FormulaE pic.twitter.com/sPBEz62z4o

— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) May 2, 2026

The hierarchy was then shaken up by the arrival of Dan Ticktum, who shattered the established records. The British driver was the first to break the symbolic one-minute barrier, taking the lead with a time of 58.337.

The surprise came from Zane Maloney who, after a solid effort, managed to advance from the group stage. A historic performance for the young driver, who thus reaches the head-to-head qualifying phase for the very first time in his career.

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