After two intense and action-packed free practice sessions on American soil, Formula E reached a decisive moment in Miami with the qualifying session that set the grid for Round 3 of Season 12. In a session filled with uncertainty, traffic, and high-stakes head-to-head battles, Nico Müller emerged victorious, defeating Felipe Drugovich in the final Duel to secure pole position. It was a landmark achievement: Müller’s first-ever pole position in Formula E, making him the 33rd different polesitter in the championship’s history, and his first pole while defending Porsche colours in Season 12. Drugovich, meanwhile, impressed by reaching his maiden Duel final, earning second place on the grid.
How Formula E qualifying works
Formula E’s qualifying format is widely regarded as one of the most intense and unpredictable in motorsport. Designed to deliver flat-out action from start to finish, it leaves little margin for error and places drivers under constant pressure. In Miami, the challenge was heightened further by changing weather conditions, with clouds rolling in and rain forecast less than an hour after the session — despite no wet running at any point during the weekend.
Qualifying begins with two groups of 11 drivers, each running at 300kW. The objective is simple: set the fastest possible lap. Only the top four drivers from each group progress to the Duels, while the rest are classified on the grid based on their group results.
The eight remaining drivers then advance to the Duels, where the power increases to 350kW and all-wheel drive (AWD)is activated on the new GEN3 Evo cars. The Duels unfold in a knockout format — quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final — with drivers facing each other in one-lap shootouts to determine the winner of the Julius Baer Pole Position.
Group stage drama sets the tone
Conditions were already beginning to change as qualifying got underway. The sky darkened, and the looming threat of rain added pressure to every lap. Lucas di Grassi entered the session on the back foot after a collision with Mitch Evansin Free Practice 2 earned him a three-place grid penalty, a tough setback following his second-place finish and Lola’s first-ever Formula E podium at Miami Homestead last season.
In Group A, the pace was relentless from the outset. Lap times hovered around the 57-second mark, but traffic quickly became a major issue. There was a particularly close moment between di Grassi and Oliver Rowland in the final corner, while tempers flared after Edoardo Mortara collided with a slow-moving Sébastien Buemi, damaging his Mahindra and prompting an angry radio message. The incident placed Buemi under investigation, along with Nyck de Vries, for potential impeding.
Despite the chaos, Norman Nato delivered a superb performance to top Group A, looking completely at ease in his Nissan. He was joined in the Duels by Nick Cassidy, Nyck de Vries, and Nico Müller. For Rowland, it was a frustrating session: after finishing last in FP2, he could only manage sixth in the group and failed to progress.
Group B followed, with strong expectations after impressive performances in practice. Taylor Barnard lived up to the hype, setting the fastest times in all three sectors and comfortably topping the group. António Félix da Costa also impressed, advancing to the Duels for the first time with Jaguar. The surprises came from Joel Eriksson and Felipe Drugovich, both securing their first-ever appearances in Formula E Duels. The four drivers progressing from Group B were Barnard, da Costa, Eriksson and Drugovich.
Quarter-finals: major eliminations
The Duels began with immediate drama. Dan Ticktum, who had reached the Duels in the previous six races, was eliminated and voiced strong frustration over his CUPRA KIRO car’s performance.
In one of the standout quarter-finals, Nyck de Vries eliminated Nick Cassidy, building a decisive advantage in the opening sectors despite Cassidy’s late recovery. Nico Müller advanced after Norman Nato ran wide in the final corner, handing the Swiss driver the win despite Müller himself having gone deep at Turn 1 earlier in the lap.
António Félix da Costa progressed smoothly, edging out Joel Eriksson by two tenths in a tightly contested Duel. The closest battle of the round saw Felipe Drugovich defeat Taylor Barnard by just one thousandth of a second, knocking out the youngest polesitter in Formula E history and underlining the Brazilian’s growing confidence.
Semi-finals: Müller and Drugovich step up
The first semi-final pitted Müller against de Vries. It was a razor-thin contest, with just a tenth of a second separating the two at the finish. De Vries closed the gap in the middle sector, but Müller held firm to secure a place in the final.
The second semi-final saw Felipe Drugovich face António Félix da Costa in a classic battle of experience versus a Duel newcomer. Drugovich was quicker from the very first sector and steadily built his advantage, leaving the Portuguese driver unable to respond. The result sent the Brazilian through to his first Formula E qualifying
Final Duel and pole position decision
The final showdown between Felipe Drugovich and Nico Müller guaranteed a first-time polesitter and marked an all-Porsche powertrain final. The advantage swung back and forth throughout the lap, but Müller made the difference in the middle sector, opening a gap that Drugovich could not close before the line. With that, Müller sealed a historic victory and claimed his first Formula E pole position, a milestone moment both personally and for Porsche in Season 12.
With qualifying complete, attention now turns to the race itself. After a short break, the drivers will return to the cockpit at 14:00 local time to contest Round 3 of the Season 12 championship, featuring the new layout of the Miami circuit. With 39 laps ahead, a mixed-up grid, and fresh faces at the front, all signs point to another thrilling chapter in Formula E’s Miami weekend.
