Edoardo Mortara delivered a masterclass in a single‑lap execution to safe pole place for the 2026 Hankook Berlin E‑Prix, extending his outstanding file at Tempelhof with a fourth profession pole on the venue.
The Mahindra Racing driver, already twice a polesitter this season after his Jeddah double, as soon as once more proved untouchable when it mattered, defeating championship rival Pascal Wehrlein in a tense Closing duel.
The group periods
Wehrlein topped Group A with a 58.369s lap, two‑tenths away from Drugovich. Rowland and Cassidy accomplished the quartet advancing to the Duels.
Taylor Barnard narrowly missed out in fifth regardless of sturdy tempo all through the weekend, whereas Jean‑Éric Vergne was left livid after ending the session solely eighth.
Dan Ticktum set the benchmark in Group B, with Mortara shut behind for Mahindra. The standout story, nevertheless, was Zane Maloney, who earned his first profession look within the Duels.
His earlier greatest qualifying outcomes—ninth in Mexico and Monaco—had been eclipsed as he secured a spot within the one‑lap shootout. His teammate Lucas di Grassi, in the meantime, ended his session early after tapping the wall.
Quarter Finals: errors, margins, and breakthroughs
The opening Duel noticed Rowland progress after Felipe Drugovich made an early error at Flip 2, handing the reigning champion an easy path into the Semis.
Subsequent got here Cassidy versus Wehrlein, a battle that produced one of many session’s most dramatic moments. Wehrlein tapped the wall on his lap, instantly reporting steering injury, but nonetheless managed to outpace the Citroën Racing driver to advance.
Zane Maloney’s first-ever Duels look adopted, however the Lola Yamaha ABT rookie confronted the formidable problem of Mortara. Regardless of a dedicated effort, Maloney was unable to match the Swiss driver’s tempo.
The ultimate Quarter Closing featured Nico Müller towards Ticktum. An early mistake from Müller despatched him vast, giving Ticktum the benefit he wanted to progress to his first Semi Closing since Mexico Metropolis.
Semi Finals: champions and contenders
The primary Semi Closing pitted two title‑profitable drivers towards one another: Wehrlein versus reigning champion Oliver Rowland. Regardless of his earlier steering considerations, Wehrlein produced one other sharp lap to get rid of the Nissan driver and e-book his place within the Closing.
On the opposite aspect of the bracket, Dan Ticktum confronted Mortara. The Mahindra driver as soon as once more demonstrated his consistency within the Duels, beating Ticktum to ensure his fifth prime‑4 begin in seven races this season and hold his pursuit of a fourth Tempelhof pole alive—an goal he in the end achieved.
Mortara vs. Wehrlein: a heavyweight Closing
The showdown for pole featured the 2 main contenders within the championship, however the momentum clearly lay with Mortara. Wehrlein reached his first duel Closing of the 2026 season regardless of brushing the wall within the Quarter Finals and reporting that the influence had left his steering misaligned by 10 to twenty levels.
Even so, the Porsche driver fought his method by the Semis and into the Closing, buoyed by the vitality of his residence crowd.
Mortara’s superior duel expertise this yr—three Finals within the final 4 occasions—proved decisive. He pieced collectively a cleaner, extra managed lap than Wehrlein, securing pole by 0.156s and matching Wehrlein’s personal file of 4 poles at a single venue, with the German having achieved the identical tally in Mexico Metropolis.
That is how we stack up going into Spherical 7 in Berlin 🇩🇪@Hankook_Sport #BerlinEPrix #FormulaE pic.twitter.com/PvArwsujUl
— Components E (@FIAFormulaE) Might 2, 2026
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