e.dams-Renault’s Nico Prost once again finished top of the timesheets in Formula E qualifying, this time for the Putrajaya ePrix.
However, the Frenchman’s 1min 21.779secs lap won’t hand him pole position on the grid, as he will take a tenth place penalty for his part in Nick Heidfeld’s crash in Beijing, meaning that the Malaysian race will see a Dragon Racing one two for today’s race.
Oriol Servia will inherit first place after his lap of 1min 22.010secs proved good enough for second, with team-mate Jerome D’Ambrosio’s time of 1min 22.215secs meaning he will sit behind him on the grid.
Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird overcame a difficult fourth qualifying group as his team-mate Jaime Alguersuari and Audi Sport ABT’s Lucas di Grassi both picked up damage, with the latter’s causing a hold up in proceedings, and the two will start at the back of the grid.
There was no such bad luck for Bird, whose 1min 22.235secs time was good enough to hand him fourth.
Audi Sport ABT’s Daniel Abt took the fastest time in the first qualifying group before finishing fifth, despite battling a crabbing car after he clipped the wall at the third turn on his way to a time of 1min 22.342secs.
Sixth saw Trulli GP’s Jarno Trulli make a late surge in the third group, overcoming Mahindra Racing’s Karun Chandhok’s impressive pace as Trulli’s 1min 22.347secs proved to be 0.265secs quicker than the Mahindra racer.
Nelson Piquet Jr took eighth in the session, despite bringing an early close to the first group after his China Racing Renault-Spark came to a stop, his time of 1min 22.620secs enough to secure his position.
Venturi GP’s Nick Heidfeld was the man in ninth, his time of 1min 22.720secs just quicker than Mahindra driver Bruno Senna’s 1min 22.816 in tenth.
Senna eked ahead of Matthew Brabham by just over 0.100secs and completed a tough day for Andretti Autosport, with Franck Montagny suffering a difficult second group.
The Frenchman missed the first corner on his opening lap before Chandhok later cost him a fast lap, relegating Montagny with a time of 1min 23.697secs.
Other drivers that had problems included Ho Pin Tung, the China Racing driver lost control of his car just before the hairpin and hit the wall to prematurely end the second group, while e.dam’s Renault’s Sebastien Buemi was unable to replicate his team-mate’s pace in the third group.
UPDATE:
Since qualifying, there have been numerous changes to the grid. Jerome D’Ambrosio will now start at the back (20th) after exceeding power usage, and Buemi will sit just in front of him. In addition, Prost’s penalty once applied sees him in eleventh.
Final grid:
- Oriol Servia, Dragon, 1:22.010s
- Sam Bird, Virgin Racing, 1:22.235s
- Daniel Abt, Audi Sport ABT, 1:22.342s
- Jarno Trulli, Trulli, 1:22.347s
- Karun Chandhok, Mahindra Racing, 1:22.612
- Nelson Piquet Jr, China Racing, 1:22.620
- Nick Heidfeld, Venturi, 1:22.720
- Bruno Senna, Mahindra Racing, 1:22.816s
- Matthew Brabham, Andretti, 1:22.941s
- Antonio Felix da Costa, Amlin Aguri, 1:23.194s
- Nicolas Prost, e.dams-Renault, 1:21.779s (penalty)
- Stephane Sarrazin, Venturi, 1:23.240s
- Franck Montagny, Andretti, 1:23.697s
- Michela Cerruti, Trulli, 1:23.857s
- Ho-Pin Tung, China Racing, 1:23.894
- Katherine Legge, Amlin Aguri, 1:25.823
- Jaime Alguersuari, Virgin Racing, no time set
- Lucas di Grassi, Audi Sport ABT, no time set
- Sebastien Buemi, e.dams-Renault, no time set (penalty)
- Jerome d’Ambrosio, Dragon Racing, no time set (penalty)
