After another Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy session dominated by Jaguar Brazil Racing, Caca Bueno once again led his team-mate Sergio Jimenez after the Brazilian rivals swapped blows throughout the 30 minute qualifying session. Bueno ended the session just over a tenth and a half clear of Jimenez with a lap time of 1:26.672 around the ten turn Berlin Templehof Airport Circuit.
Behind the two Jaguar Brazil Racing cars was Simon Evans, who was just a tenth ahead of championship leader Bryan Sellers after another ultra-competitive qualifying session. But after using practice to get up to speed, Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy debutant Adam Carroll performed admirably to secure a top five starting position for his first Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy race, with the British driver stepping in for Stefan Rzadinski in the TWR Techeetah car.
Heading the Pro-Am class was Yaqi Zhang as the Team China Racing driver did an exceptional lap to qualify sixth ahead of the Pro-Am championship leader Bandar Alesayi in seventh place, with Celia Martin in eighth position. But all three Pro-Am drivers qualified ahead of Mexico City race winner Katherine Legge, who continues her late-season slump, and will start tomorrow’s race from ninth on the grid.
This was a especially surprising for Martin, who managed to qualify eighth despite only setting six timed laps during the 30 minute session after an unidentified problem with the French racer’s I-Pace.
Despite needing a strong performance this weekend, Ahmed Bin-Khanen struggled in qualifying here in Berlin with a lap a second off pole and four tenths off the Pro-Am pole, which means that the Saudi Racing driver will only start from eleventh on the grid. He will only be ahead of Jaguar VIP driver and German motorsport journalist Jens Dralle, who is struggling to get up to speed in the Jaguar I-Pace, setting a lap that was some 1.7 s off the next slowest car, and 2.7 s off Bueno’s pole position lap.
The eighth round of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy gets underway tomorrow at 15:15 local time where the two Jaguar Brazil Racing will see if they can maintain their dominance around the Berlin Templehof Airport Circuit.
