Mortara takes third Formula E pole of the season in Berlin

Edoardo Mortara claimed his third pole position of the season in Formula E, beating Pascal Wehrlein in the qualifying Duels final for the first of two races at this weekend's Berlin E-Prix.

Mortara's lap of 56.986s was 0.156s quicker than Wehrlein, although the Porsche driver looked like he might have mounted a closer challenge after going quicker in the second sector.

Mahindra driver Mortara started qualifying by going second quickest in the second Group session, just 0.083s off Dan Ticktum's best. He then beat Lola Yamaha Abt’s Zane Maloney – who'd made it to the Duels for the first time – despite being held up by Wehrlein on his warm-up lap. He then took on Ticktum in the Semifinals, getting the better of the Cupra Kiro driver.

Wehrlein was quickest in the first Group session ahead of Andretti’s Felipe Drugovich, Nissan’s Oliver Rowland, and Nick Cassidy – who he took on in his first Duel. Despite being down on the Citroen driver in the first two sectors after a brush with a wall which resulted in bent steering, he recovered to edge the tie by 0.075s. Wehrlein then defeated reigning champion Rowland in the Semifinals to set up the head-to-head with Mortara.

As well as being his third pole of the season it was Mortara's fourth at the Tempelhof circuit, tying the record for most poles at a single venue with Wehrlein (Mexico City). It's also the first time Mahindra has had three poles in a season since 2017-18 with Felix Rosenqvist. For Wehrlein, it's his first front row start of the season and his first since Berlin last year.

Rowland will start Saturday afternoon's race from third, ahead of Ticktum, with Cassidy fifth, Porsche’s Nico Mueller sixth, Maloney seventh, and Drugovich eighth.

Behind those who advanced to the Duels, FP2 pacesetter Antonio Felix da Costa will line up ninth for Jaguar, with FP1 table-topper Taylor Barnard 10th after being knocked out of a transfer spot late on by Rowland. He was one spot ahead of his DS Penske teammate Maximilian Guenther.

Envision Racing’s Joel Eriksson will start 12th, ahead of Andretti’s Jake Dennis – who couldn’t get his tires into a window he liked – and Mitch Evans in the second Jaguar, who'd gone fastest in the first sector of his last Group stage lap but lost time in the subsequent two sectors.

Kiro’s Pepe Marti improved on his final Group lap but it wasn’t enough to advance to the Duels. He will start 15th with Citroen’s Jean-Eric Vergne 16th and Nyck de Vries 17th. The Mahindra driver improved in the first and final sectors but lost time in the second meaning he couldn't improve.

Sebastien Buemi will start 19th in the second Envision, ahead of Lola’s Lucas di Grassi – who sustained suspension damage after hitting the wall at Turn 4 on his first flying lap in the second Group session – and Norman Nato who was bottom of the first Group in his Nissan.

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