Indian manufacturer confirms strong form by topping both sessions, while Brazilian drivers maintain consistent pace on Day 2 of pre-season testing for Season 12
Valencia, Spain
The second day of Formula E pre-season testing, held on Tuesday (28) at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, confirmed the strength of Mahindra Racing. The Indian team led the timesheets with a one-two finish from Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries, topping the morning session.
Following the opening three-hour session on Monday, teams returned to the track with increased confidence and a greater focus on outright performance. Swiss-Italian driver Edoardo Mortara set the fastest lap of the morning with a best time of 1:21.493, closely followed by team-mate Nyck de Vries, just 0.093s behind.
Andretti remained competitive, with Jake Dennis securing third place, while Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein — the fastest driver on Day 1 — finished fourth, ahead of his new team-mate Nico Müller in fifth.
Among the Brazilian drivers, Lucas di Grassi (Lola Yamaha ABT) ended the morning session in 14th with a time of 1:22.270, narrowly ahead of Felipe Drugovich (Andretti), who posted a 1:22.282 as he continued his adaptation to the car, finishing 16th.
The break between sessions was marked by press conferences involving drivers and team principals, who reflected on the outcomes of Season 11, discussed recent driver market movements and shared their expectations for the upcoming championship.
At 14:00 local time, the cars returned to the circuit for the second three-hour session of the day. Teams and journalists, however, were taken by surprise by a full race simulation organised by the FIA, aimed at testing safety procedures, electronic systems and race conditions. Despite the absence of direct on-track battles, Mortara once again controlled proceedings and finished at the top, reinforcing Mahindra’s status as one of the strongest contenders of the pre-season.
The simulation formed part of the third test session, which was split into two phases: the simulated race and a subsequent free practice run. It was during this final phase that the surprise of the day emerged, as Cupra Kiro’s Dan Ticktum set the fastest time of the session and the day, outperforming several established front-runners and suggesting that the Spanish outfit could be one of the season’s breakout teams.
After two days of running, Mahindra and Porsche remain among the fastest teams, while Cupra Kiro has begun to attract attention thanks to Ticktum’s performance. Pre-season testing continues in Valencia until Friday (31), with four further sessions still to come.
