JAKE DENNIS TAKES POLE IN SANYA AS ANDRETTI LOCKS OUT FRONT ROW
Formula E’s return to Sanya delivered a dramatic qualifying session, ending with Jake Dennis taking pole position ahead of Andretti teammate Felipe Drugovich, securing the team’s first-ever front row lockout in the championship. The British driver produced a final lap of 1m05.502 to secure top spot, finishing comfortably ahead after a costly mistake from Drugovich in the final stage of the duel.
The result capped off a dominant day for the Andretti Formula E Team, with both drivers progressing through a tense knockout format that included group stages, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final head-to-head battle for pole position.
In Group A, Felipe Drugovich set the early benchmark with a time of 1m07.337, finishing ahead of Taylor Barnard by just 0.122 seconds. Championship leader Mitch Evans also progressed from the group in third, along with Nick Cassidy, who secured the final transfer spot into the duel stages. Mahindra’s Edoardo Mortara missed out in sixth despite showing strong pace in practice, while Nico Müller suffered a difficult session and failed to progress from eighth.
Group B saw a stronger performance from Porsche-powered cars, with Pascal Wehrlein topping the session in 1m07.496. Nyck de Vries followed closely in second, less than a tenth behind, while Dan Ticktum and Jake Dennis also advanced to the knockout rounds. The session was briefly interrupted at the end when Zane Maloney hit the wall at Turn 4, bringing out yellow flags.
The quarter-finals opened with Mitch Evans narrowly defeating Taylor Barnard by just 0.001 seconds in one of the closest duels of the season. Nick Cassidy then beat Felipe Drugovich after a strong lap built on a fast opening sector, while Dan Ticktum advanced against Nyck de Vries after the Dutch driver was eliminated in the British duel. Jake Dennis also progressed comfortably against Pascal Wehrlein despite brushing the wall late in his lap.
In the semi-finals, Drugovich overcame Evans to secure his place in the final, while Dennis benefited from a mistake by Ticktum, who misjudged braking into Turn 9 and lost control of his attempt, allowing Dennis to advance without pressure into the final stage.
The final was an all-Andretti battle between teammates Dennis and Drugovich. However, the decisive moment came early when Drugovich ran deep at Turn 4, losing valuable time. Dennis capitalised immediately and built a gap that proved impossible to recover, ultimately sealing pole position with a dominant lap.
The result marks a significant milestone for Andretti, as both cars occupied the front row for the first time in team history. It also strengthens Dennis’ position as one of the leading qualifiers in Formula E, while Drugovich continues to build momentum following his recent podium in Monaco.
With the grid now set, attention turns to race day in Sanya, where championship leader Mitch Evans will aim to convert strong qualifying pace into points, and Andretti will look to turn an optimal qualifying result into a potential race win.
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