Getting ready for Round 5 of the ABB FIA Formula E Cape Town E-Prix with qualifying from South Africa. Stay here for all the updates, commentary and analysis as they happen.
9:42am GMT: First cars now out on the track in Group A
9:47am GMT: Jake Hughes (NEOM McLaren) has a bit of an incident and collects some advertising while missing the corner at turn 1.
9:49am GMT: As the first flying laps conclude, it’s Da Costa, Wehrlein, Vergne and Fenestraz currently headed trough to the duels. Fastest lap sits at 1:09.441.
9:52am GMT: Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) goes fastest with a 1:09.007
9:53am GMT: All cars back out on track now for the final push to the finish.
9:56am GMT: Jake Hughes joins the top 4 momentarily but as time expires Fenestraz goes fastest with a 1:08.994, he’ll be joined by Cassidy, Wehrlein and Vergne in advancing to the duels.
9:57am GMT: Official classification after Group A qualifying.
9:59am GMT: Neither Mahindra and the ABT Cupra of van der Linde seem like they will be making it to qualifying. Disappointing for both teams to be starting at the back of the grid.
10:00am GMT: Group 2 underway. Mortara and Günther are the first cars out on the track.
10:03am GMT: Buemi (Envision Racing) preparing for a hot lap. The team did a great job piecing his car back together after a rather spectacular meeting with the wall in free practice.
10:04am GMT: James Barclay, Jaguar team principal, looking happy as always while his drivers Evans and Bird go 1-2, provisionally.
10:05am GMT: Scratch that; Buemi and Günther split the Jaguar drivers as everyone heads into the pits to cool down the tyres ready for a final push.
10:08am GMT: As a reminder, at the conclusion of qualifying, a 5 place grid penatly will be applied to Sam Bird, and 3 places for René Rast, following their dramas at the last E-Prix.
10:10am GMT: On board with Rast as he makes what will likely be his final push of qualifying group B.
10:11am GMT: Rast goes fastest 1:08.84
10:11am GMT: BIG COLLISION with Sam Bird and Edo Mortara. Red flag.
10:15am GMT: Everybody is okay but the session has been called. Through to the duels is René Rast, Mitch Evans, Sébastien Buemi and Max Günther.
10:25am GMT: Track almost clear. Here’s what we’re getting in the qualifying duels. Wehrlein vs. Cassidy up first.
10:29am GMT: Here we go then. Our first quarter final duel sees Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) take on Nick Cassidy (Envision).
10:31am GMT: Cassidy looking fastest as the lap is in progress.
10:32am GMT: Cassidy advances with a 1:08.446
10:33am GMT: Vergne and Fenestraz on track for duel #2.
10:34am GMT: Fenestraz looking fast, almost 3/10 up as he comes towards the line but it’s a bit of a wild ride and he rocks his way across the line with a 1:08.467
10:35am GMT: Duel #3 is Buemi and Evans. They’ll break the tie here.
10:36am GMT: Buemi goes nose first into the wall, allowing Mitch Evans to coast to the finish and advance.
10:36am GMT: Günther vs. Rast will close out the quarter finals.
10:37am GMT: Head to head view for this one. Günther seems to have the edge.
10:38am GMT: Günther goes through but does so with the slowest winning lap time of the quarter finals.
10:40am GMT: Our semi finals are set. Fenestraz vs. Cassidy, Günther vs. Evans.
10:44am GMT: By way of an update, suspension concerns are what has forced the Mahindra and ABT Cupra teams to withdraw from this afternoon’s race. Mahindra supplies powertrains for both its works pairing Oliver Rowland and Lucas di Grassi and the Abt Cupra squad’s Nico Mueller and Kelvin van der Linde.
10:48am GMT: Fenstraz vs. Cassidy is about to begin.
10:50am GMT: Fenestraz is up two tenths on Cassidy at the halfway point of the lap.
10:51am GMT: Cassidy closes the gap slightly but is eliminated after finishing the lap 0.108s behind.
10:51am GMT: The second semi final will see Günther face Evans.
10:53am GMT: Evans makes an error on his lap and loses out on the final. Max Günther through.
10:54am GMT: The story of the qualifying duels so far.
11:01am GMT: Here we go then! Fenestraz vs Günther for pole position at the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E Cape Town E-Prix.
11:03am GMT: Side by side, Günther has the early lead.
11:04am GMT: Fenestraz claws it back! After gradually gaining time in each sector, he defeats Günther by 0.422s!
11:11am GMT: Sacha Fenestraz is presented with the pole sitters trophy.
For coverage from the race in Cape Town, join us live this afternoon for The Effing Racing Show, live on JEZ Sports’ YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
