The stage is set for Saturday's Sanya E-Prix as Andretti's Jake Dennis claimed his first pole position of the season. Dennis delivered an impressive performance in qualifying, continuing his strong form in Sanya where he finished second and third in the practice sessions. Andretti secured a significant advantage as teammate Felipe Drugovich finished second, marking the team's first-ever front-row lockout in Formula E.
Qualifying Highlights
Drugovich ended Dan Ticktum's qualifying run, giving Dennis the advantage at Turn 4. Ticktum, who arrived in Sanya after back-to-back pole positions at the Monaco E-Prix double-header, ultimately qualified fourth. Despite his qualifying success in Monaco, he was unable to convert either pole into a podium finish. DS Penske's Taylor Barnard qualified fifth, followed by Mahindra Racing's Nyck de Vries in sixth. Citroen Racing's Nick Cassidy took seventh place on the grid.
Pascal Wehrlein, who topped the second free practice session (FP2) earlier in the day, qualified eighth. He was followed by Envision Racing drivers Joel Eriksson and Sebastien Buemi in ninth and tenth, respectively. Mahindra Racing's Edoardo Mortara, who topped FP1 and finished second in FP2, ended up qualifying 12th. Meanwhile, reigning champion Oliver Rowland took 11th, while the last Sanya E-Prix winner, Jean-Eric Vergne, qualified 15th.
Race Day Conditions
The Sanya E-Prix gets underway at 3:05 pm local time (12:35 pm IST). According to AccuWeather, there is only a slight chance of rain, although the possibility cannot be ruled out. The drivers have already been struggling with the summer heat in Sanya, and the race is expected to be particularly demanding, with temperatures forecast to reach around 34°C at race time. The RealFeel temperature is expected to soar to 44°C.
Current championship leader Mitch Evans of Jaguar TCS Racing qualified third and will be looking to extend his lead in the standings. The competition is expected to be intense as drivers gear up for a scorching race in Sanya.
