Mahindra’s Mortara Secures Pole at Electrifying Berlin E-Prix
In a pulse-pounding qualifying session at the Berlin E-Prix, Mahindra Racing’s Edoardo Mortara secured his first pole position of the 2023 Formula E season, posting a blistering 1m01.741s lap time to lead the pack. This marks Mortara’s first points of the season, and Mahindra’s as well, after a challenging campaign thus far.
The Swiss-Italian driver edged out DS Penske’s Stoffel Vandoorne by a mere 0.267s, thanks in part to Vandoorne’s less-than-ideal exit from the Turn 7 hairpin in their final duel. Mortara’s last pole position came two years ago at the Tempelhof Airport circuit in Berlin, albeit on a different layout.
“I’m really happy to be back on pole position. The team has done an incredible job, and I’m grateful for their hard work and support. This is an important result for us, and I’m looking forward to a strong race tomorrow.”
- Edoardo Mortara, Mahindra Racing
Podium Contenders and Championship Standings
Vandoorne, who secured second place, beat ERT’s Sergio Sette Camara by 0.167s in their semi-final duel, while Mortara recovered from a fractionally slower opening sector to edge out the second DS Penske of Jean-Eric Vergne by a tenth.
Porsche driver and championship leader Pascal Wehrlein was eliminated in his quarter-final duel against Vergne by a narrow 0.082s margin. Meanwhile, Vandoorne progressed at the expense of Maserati MSG’s Maximilian Guenther by more than two tenths.
Qualifying Group Performances
Mortara topped the initial qualifying group with a 1m02.619s lap, joined by Wehrlein, Vergne, and Jehan Daruvala in the duels. Despite brushing the wall at the final corner, Mortara demonstrated his skill and resilience throughout the session.
The second Porsche of Antonio Felix da Costa missed out on progressing by 0.084s, finishing ahead of Monaco winner and Jaguar driver Mitch Evans. Also eliminated were Dan Ticktum (ERT), Mahindra’s Jordan King ahead of his Formula E debut, and Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan).
Joel Eriksson, standing in for Robin Frijns at Envision this weekend, finished 10th ahead of reigning champion Jake Dennis, who struggled to keep pace with the leaders. Dennis’s team-mate Norman Nato fared little better in the second qualifying group, finishing last to complete a disastrous session for the American team.
Lucas di Grassi, driving for Abt, topped his qualifying group with a 1m02.615s lap, but ultimately fell short by 0.229s against Sette Camara in the duels. Formula E debutant Paul Aron impressed with a 10th-place finish for Envision, less than half a second behind di Grassi.
With this pole position, Mortara aims to secure his first win of the season and close the gap in the championship standings. The 2023 Formula E calendar will continue to thrill fans as the season unfolds. Stay tuned for more electrifying action from the series.
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