Maximilian Gunther seals Jeddah E-Prix pole

Jeddah E-Prix pole Maximilian Gunther

DS Penske’s Maximilian Günther clinched the inaugural Jeddah E-Prix pole marking a huge achievement in the 2025 Formula E season.

The qualifying session held on February 14, 2025 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit showcased the intense competition and strategic maneuvers that define this all-electric racing series.

Maximilian Günther’s Jeddah E-Prix pole winning lap was particularly noteworthy as he navigated the challenging street circuit with precision, ultimately clocking in a time of 1:14.911. The top spot highlighted his return to form after a two-season hiatus from pole positions.

The qualifying session was divided into several stages, beginning with the group stages where drivers were split into two groups to set their fastest lap times. The top four drivers from each group advanced to the quarter-finals, followed by the semi-finals and the final duel to determine the pole sitter.

In Group A, NEOM McLaren’s Taylor Barnard initially set the pace, but Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries was the first to break into the 1:17.000s. Ultimately, Barnard cemented his top spot with an improved time followed by Günther, de Vries and Mitch Evans, who also advanced to the next round.

Notably, championship leader and FP2 leader Antonio Felix da Costa missed out in the battle for Jeddah E-Prix pole after struggling to find pace and was unable to make any progress from the group stage, ultimately landing in 13th position.

Group B saw intense competition as well, with drivers battling for the crucial top four positions. Pascal Wehrlein demonstrated his prowess by setting a competitive time, while Oliver Rowland also secured his place in the quarter-finals.

The semi-finals saw Günther face off against Barnard, with Günther ultimately prevailing with a time of 1:15.219, edging out the impressive rookie by just under a tenth of a second.

In the other semi-final, Wehrlein went up against Rowland, with Wehrlein setting a blistering final sector to secure his spot in the final with a time of 1:14.999. The all-German final between Günther and Wehrlein promised a thrilling showdown for Jeddah E-Prix pole position.

In the final duel, Günther and Wehrlein went head-to-head with Günther ultimately snatching Jeddah E-Prix pole position with a time of 1:14.911. Despite Wehrlein’s best efforts he lost time in the final sector allowing Günther to capitalize and secure his first pole position in two seasons.

The victory was particularly sweet for Günther, marking a return to form and demonstrating the potential of the DS Penske package. For Wehrlein, while missing out on pole, he maintained his record of starting on the front row in every race of Season 11 so far.

Meanwhile Oliver Rowland claimed the third spot on the grid, followed by teenage rookie Taylor Barnard of McLaren in fourth, showcasing an exceptional performance.

Mitch Evans, Nyck de Vries, Jake Hughes and Dan Ticktum secured fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth respectively, indicating their competitiveness on the Jeddah circuit. Nick Cassidy and Jean-Eric Vergne rounded out the top ten spots.

2025 Jeddah E-Prix Qualifying results

Pos.DriverNat.Team
1Maximilian GüntherDEUDS Penske
2Pascal WehrleinDEUPorsche
3Oliver RowlandGBRNissan
4Taylor BarnardGBRMcLaren
5Mitch EvansNZLJaguar
6Dan TicktumGBRCupra Kiro
7Nyck de VriesNEDMahindra
8Jake HughesGBRMaserati
9Nick CassidyNZLJaguar
10Jean-Eric VergneFRADS Penske
11Sam BirdGBRMcLaren
12Norman NatoFRANissan
13Antonio Felix da CostaPRTPorsche
14Stoffel VandoorneBELMaserati
15Nico MüllerCHEAndretti
16Jake DennisGBRAndretti
17Sebastian BuemiCHEEnvision
18David BeckmannDEUCupra Kiro
19Robin FrijnsNEDEnvision
20Edoardo MortaraCHEMahindra
21Lucas di GrassiBRZLola Yamaha ABT
22Zane MaloneyBRBLola Yamaha ABT

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