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Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) took Julius Baer Pole Position at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez ahead of Round 3 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Mexico City.
The German kept his cool as the temperatures rose in Mexico City to post a 1m07.100s while Edoardo Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing) crossed the line sideways, losing his early Finals advantage to slip to P2 by 0.273 seconds.
RESULTS: Qualifying ahead of the 2022 Mexico City E-Prix
The Drivers’ World Championship leader was on the ragged edge as he looked to keep a rapid-Wehrlein at bay – the Porsches had been hooked up from the green light in Free Practice 1. Mortara made a mistake through the tricky stadium section and danced through the Peraltada to try and make amends, eventually pushing beyond the limit and sliding across the line sideways - opening the door for Wehrlein.
WAYS TO WATCH: Where and how to watch every minute of Season 8
Mortara’s Julius Baer Pole Position hoodoo continues in Formula E; he’s now 50 attempts without one – more than any other driver. Wehrlein, with his clinical lap under intense pressure, needed no second invitation to take his third in Mexico alone.
Coverage of the 2022 Mexico City E-Prix follows at 16:00 local time.
The dramatic end to our final duel 🤯
— ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (@FIAFormulaE) February 12, 2022
It was a great performance from both drivers throughout the duels but @PWehrlein was the one who picked up @juliusbaer pole position ahead of @edomortara👏
🇲🇽 2022 #MexicoCityEPrix | @PorscheFormulaE@VenturiFEpic.twitter.com/TZVznfgtZ9
The Semis
Championship leader Mortara earlier squared off against another Porsche - that of Andre Lotterer for a place on the front row of the grid. The Swiss-Italian nailed Turn 1 and pulled out some time on the German. As he did earlier in qualifying, Lotterer reeled his man in through the lap and looked to have pipped him at the last, only for Mortara to outdo the Porsche driver through the final turn, and over the line by 0.067 seconds - leaving Lotterer third.
Vergne vs Wehrlein was next. There was near-nothing between them through the first sector – just 0.002 seconds – and come the Foro Sol, it was the same story. Wehrlein tidily threaded his way through the stadium, though, and come the chequered flag, he’d pulled out three tenths of-a-second on the DS driver with the fastest lap of the day to that point – a 1m07.035s. Vergne would settle for fourth and a good platform to build on.
The Quarters
De Vries drew out 0.1 seconds in the first corner alone on Lotterer. The Porsche driver caught his man through the stadium section as he thread the needle through the Foro Sol to go through to the Semis with a quarter-of-a-second on the Dutchman. Some lap by Lotterer, pushing de Vries into sixth.
Mortara carved his way around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to hammer home his authority as championship leader by 0.4 seconds over Robin Frijns (Envision Racing), who wound up seventh.
The DS TECHEETAHs squared off against each other next, with da Costa stealing a march through the opening half of the lap but through the stadum, Vergne pulled the deficit back to pip the Portuguese by 0.011 seconds – leaving the Season 6 champion fifth.
It was Mercedes-EQ vs TAG Heuer Porsche once again for the last of the Quarters. Vandoorne almost found the wall, kicking up dirt through Turn 1 and costing himself half-a-second. Wehrlein was neat, and despite Vandoorne monstering the stadium section, the Porsche man had plenty in hand to make it through. Vandoorne would have to settle for eighth.
The Groups
Lotterer followed up on his strong practice performances to set the early pace through the first flying runs of the Group A runners. His 1m07.954s was the fastest time of the day to that point, though Mortara was less than a tenth of-a-second back.
The standings leader flew on his second effort to go some quarter of-a-second up on Lotterer’s benchmark through the first half of the lap. Lotterer bit back, though and stole the initiative and top spot – some three tenths up on his opening effort – as the chequered flag fell. Along with the Porsche driver and Mortara, Vergne made it through late alongside Vandoorne.
Wehrlein made it a Porsche clean sweep in the Groups with Robin Frijns (Envision Racing) a tenth-of-a-second back. Da Costa and reigning champion de Vries also made it to the Duels.