Sebastien Buemi will start this afternoon’s Qatar Airways Paris ePrix from the Julius Baer Pole Position after denying Jean-Eric Vergne by the closet margin in Formula E history.
Just 0.006s separated the Renault e.dams champion and the TECHEETAH star in a sensationally close qualifying session.
“I’m relieved!” Buemi said. “Last year this was our worst qualifying and we really had no speed, so we worked very hard and tried to understand the situation and today I had pole position. I had a few mistakes in the third sector, so it’s amazing. It’s already part of the job done, now we see what we can do in the race.”
Look, look, look… they are getting ready here! One hour to go before race starts #ParisePrix pic.twitter.com/kaDtPo82NL
— RENAULT e.dams (@RENAULTedams) May 20, 2017
Third on the grid went to Jose Maria Lopez for DS Virgin Racing, while Oliver Turvey set the fourth best time for NextEV Nio. However, the Brit will start from 14th on the grid after picking up a 10-place grid penalty for a motor change.
Sebastien Buemi: “It’s already part of the job done, now we see what we can do in the race.”
In his third Formula E race, Esteban Gutierrez reached his maiden Super Pole session. The TECHEETAH driver unfortunately made a mistake and went off the road on his hot lap, but he will start fourth, his highest position on the grid so far.
A charging Nick Heidfeld just failed to get his Mahindra into Super Pole and ended up sixth fastest, just ahead of his team-mate Felix Rosenqvist. Robins Frijns did a good job to set the eighth fastest time for Andretti, while Mitch Evans was again in great one-lap form to be ninth for Panasonic Jaguar Racing , ahead of the Renault e.dams of Nico Prost.
Mike Conway out-qualified new team-mate Jerome D’Ambrosio. He went 11th fastest for Faraday Future Dragon Racing, while it was a very disappointing session for Lucas di Grassi. Going out in Group 1 was clearly a disadvantage for the championship contender and he gradually went down the order to 14th.
Series debutant Tom Dillmann was a solid 15th for Venturi, but his team-mate Stephane Sarrazin was out of luck as he car developed a technical fault on his qualifying lap and left him at the foot of the times.
Watch @Sebastien_buemi‘s pole lap for the Qatar Airways #ParisePrix pic.twitter.com/eNW94gX8jB
— FIA Formula E (@FIAformulaE) May 20, 2017
