Jake Dennis will start the 2025 Formula E season from pole position after a dramatic and unpredictable São Paulo E-Prix qualifying session. Pascal Wehrlein set the overall fastest time and won the final duel, but his three place grid penalty for wheelspin in the pit lane means he loses the top starting spot. He still keeps the three championship points for being the quickest driver, but he is shuffled back to fourth on the grid for the race.
Wehrlein’s 1:09.812 was the standout lap of the day, beating Dennis by three tenths, yet the penalty hands Dennis the official pole. Dan Ticktum moves up to second, while Edoardo Mortara starts third after a strong performance for Mahindra.
Felipe Drugovich endured a nightmare first qualifying session as a full-time Andretti driver. The home favourite crashed at Turn 4 during Group B, triggering a red flag and ending his session early. He’ll start 17th.
Reigning champion Oliver Rowland also suffered a rough session. Eliminated in the group stage, and carrying a three-place penalty from last season’s finale, he drops to 13th.
The duels: Wehrlein fastest, Dennis the beneficiary
Once the top eight were set, the knockout duels produced some of the most exciting laps of the afternoon. Mortara opened the action by defeating Jean Eric Vergne with a strong Sector 1 and steady improvement across the rest of the lap. Dennis then overcame Antonio Felix da Costa in a close fight thanks to a brilliant final sector that turned a deficit into a winning margin.
Wehrlein delivered the most dominant duel performance by beating Nyck de Vries with nearly four tenths in hand. His Porsche looked planted and incredibly stable through the fast changes of direction. Ticktum eliminated Nato to complete the semi final line up.
In the semis, Dennis and Mortara fought closely, but a small mistake from Mortara in Sector 2 allowed Dennis to sneak ahead. Wehrlein and Ticktum then produced one of the fastest exchanges of the day, with Wehrlein posting a 1:09.804 to secure his place in the final.
The final was effectively about bonus points rather than the starting grid, yet both drivers went for it. Dennis struggled through the opening corners and could not recover the lost time. Wehrlein completed a smooth and precise lap to take the duel victory, although his penalty means he begins the race from the second row.
Group stages: crashes, shocks and a surprise leader
Group A was defined by rising track temperatures, frequent track limit deletions and late improvements. Antonio Felix da Costa ended the session on top with a 1:12.140 after a confident early lap. Vergne, Mortara and Dennis progressed behind him. Rowland narrowly missed out and will feel frustrated with the timing of his final lap.
Group B became far more dramatic. Drugovich’s crash at Turn 4 brought out the red flag and reset the entire field. With only one attempt available once running resumed, several drivers were under pressure. Nato responded with a superb lap to top the group, followed by Wehrlein, de Vries and Ticktum. Drugovich and Lucas di Grassi both saw their sessions end early due to separate issues for the Lola Yamaha ABT squad.
The grid
With penalties applied:
The opening race of Season 12 now looks set for a tense and strategic fight. Andretti, Porsche and Mahindra all showed promising long run pace in practice, while Jaguar and Nissan may yet have more to reveal once race conditions settle. São Paulo has delivered chaos before and this qualifying session suggests the season opener could be just as unpredictable.
Formula E is back and the competition looks fierce.
