FE: Bird takes third pole of the season

Sam Bird claimed his third pole position of the Formula E season in qualifying for the inaugural Paris ePrix.

After setting the fastest time in the group stage, the DS Virgin Racing driver overturned a sector-one deficit to championship leader Lucas di Grassi to top the superpole shootout by 0.3s. While Abt Audi Sport's di Grassi could not match Bird's 1m01.616s, he did manage to split the Virgin-run DSV-01s by edging Jean-Eric Vergne for second.

Venturi's Stephane Sarrazin will line up fourth, having been fortunate just to make it out of the group phase after a bizarre accident that eliminated his team-mate and practice pacesetter Mike Conway. Mahindra Racing driver Nick Heidfeld spun into the barrier at Turn 11 and tried to rejoin the track as Conway came through the corner. The two collided, causing considerable front-end damage to both cars, and that delayed Sarrazin, who was just behind Conway on track.

Officials extended that group's session to allow all except Heidfeld and Sebastien Buemi, who had already completed his 200kW run, to return to the track, but Conway's car was too damaged and his spare not charged meaning he will start 17th, with Heidfeld 18th.

Nico Prost was slowest of the superpole runners and will start fifth, three places ahead of Buemi after a difficult session for Renault e.dams. The championship's benchmark team is struggling in Paris, with low ambient temperatures making it difficult switch on the Michelin tires. Buemi wound up eighth, behind Andretti Autosport's Robin Frijns and Oliver Turvey and more than a second off Bird's pace. Turvey's NEXTEV TCR team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr and Antonio Felix da Costa complete the top 10 on the grid.

Originally on Autosport.com