Changing track conditions and late sunshine shape Day 3 in Valencia, Mortara sets the pace during Formula E testing in Valencia
Valencia, Spain
The third day of Formula E pre-season testing got under way under overcast skies, with the track surface still damp following overnight rain in Valencia. As the Spanish sun broke through later in the morning, faster laps began to emerge around the Ricardo Tormo Circuit — and once again it was Mahindra Racing’s Edoardo Mortara who stood out, he leads the session with a 1:21.680.
Building on a consistent start to the week, Mahindra maintained its strong pace and further consolidated its presence at the top of the timesheets. Inside the garage, optimism was clear, with engineers praising the car’s balance and reliability during race simulations and long stints — a welcome contrast to the challenges faced by the Indian manufacturer in recent seasons.
Just behind Mortara, Jake Dennis placed Andretti second, confirming the American team’s positive form. Also shining in the same machinery was Brazilian Felipe Drugovich, who posted the fastest time among rookie drivers — a 1:22.039 — finishing 11th overall and just three tenths of a second behind his team-mate. The performance underlined Drugovich’s rapid adaptation to Formula E machinery and his growing confidence within the Andretti set-up.
The fourth session of the week also delivered a few surprises. CUPRA Kiro’s Pepe Martí showed improved pace and extracted more performance from the car, finishing 16th. The team continues to build momentum following Dan Ticktum’s standout showing the previous day, signalling steady progress in the Gen3 Evo era.
Lucas di Grassi, representing Lola Yamaha ABT, ended the session in 18th with a time of 1:22.611, the fastest among his team’s entries. Envision’s Sébastien Buemi briefly appeared near the top of the timesheets during the morning but ultimately concluded the session in 19th.
The top ten featured several established names from the grid: Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) finished fourth, followed by team-mate Nico Müller in fifth. Nick Cassidy (Citroën Racing) was sixth, with Taylor Barnard (DS Penske) seventh. Nissan drivers Norman Nato and Oliver Rowland secured eighth and ninth respectively, while António Félix da Costa completed the top ten for Jaguar TCS Racing as he continues to adapt to the new car.
With the chequered flag bringing the morning’s on-track action to a close, teams used Wednesday afternoon to fulfil media duties and institutional filming commitments — one of the few breaks in an otherwise intense schedule. Track action resumes on Thursday for the fourth day of collective testing, ahead of the all-female test session scheduled for Friday, 31
