Cassidy on pole for New York City E-Prix Round 11, with Vandoorne poised to pounce

Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) sneaked Julius Baer Pole Position for the New York City E-Prix Round 11 by just 0.008s from Stoffel Vandoorne (Mercedes-EQ), with the race teed up to cause a stir in the title battle.

Cassidy danced the car around a drying track following the earlier rain during the Group B running. The New Zealander and Vandoorne couldn’t be split around the whole lap with the advantage heading one way then the next over the final duel. The Envision Racing driver did enough, though, to seal his third pole in Formula E.

RESULTS: The full classification ahead of the New York City E-Prix Round 11

Current standings leader Edoardo Mortara (ROKiT Venturi Racing) had failed to make it through the Groups but his 11-point lead in the championship remains intact after Vandoorne failed to bag those three bonus points for pole.

It could have been far worse for Mortara, were it not for the weather that arrived midway through Group B. Fellow title challengers Jean-Eric Vergne (DS TECHEETAH) and Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) were caught out by the conditions, having failed to set a banker lap of note before the drizzle became rain and a faster lap than those that had come before went out of the window.

With Vandoorne second, he’s in the box seat to capitalise. Mortara will start down in ninth – by no means disastrous – but Evans and Vergne have it all to do from 14^th and 16^th, respectively.

The best representation for the American contingent on the grid was Jake Dennis steering Avalanche Andretti to 13^th. Teammate and home hero Oliver Askew struggled early on in the Groups and failed to make it through to the knockouts. He will start down in 19^th.

The DRAGON / PENSKE Autosport pairing of Antonio Giovinazzi and Sergio Sette Camara will start 20^th and 21^st– the latter finding the wall at the final corner on his first flying lap, leaving the American squad a big job on their hands to get the car repaired for the race.

Semis

As the rain burned off Cassidy and Wehrlein had a drying line to aim at and the New Zealander hooked it up best to pip the Porsche driver to a spot on the front row. Wehrlein will line up fourth.

Vandoorne was in the best place to capitalise on the rest of the top four’s struggles in his duel with di Grassi. The Venturi driver had to do his teammate and standings leader Mortara a favour but he couldn’t quite outdo the factory Mercedes – Vandoorne making it to the Final by 0.044 seconds and di Grassi having to settle for third.

Quarters

Wehrlein and Frijns were first to face off with the track still slick following the earlier downpour. Both danced on the brakes but the German had half a second over the Dutchman – with Frijns falling well shy through Turns 6 & 7. The Porsche driver made it through to the Semis thanks to that wet track knowledge as a Group B runner, while Frijns will line up seventh.

Bird and Cassidy came next but despite his Group B slot and prior record in New York City, the Brit fell well short after locking up and running deep into Turn 1 – 1.3 seconds the advantage for Cassidy. Bird made it to eighth on the grid.

Sims and Vandoorne couldn’t be separated until the final sector, where the title contender managed to stretch his legs – the Mercedes-EQ man finding a drying line. Sims bit back at the back end of the lap, though and was ahead by the final turn. Despite Sims’ best efforts, Vandoorne’s exit down the back straight proved to be enough to make it through right at the last, with Sims starting sixth.

Two old rivals squared off in the final Quarters duel, with di Grassi heading Buemi comfortably. The Nissan looked wriggly under braking and di Grassi had enough in hand to produce a tidy lap and see it through to the Semis while Buemi makes fifth.

Groups

With track conditions improving in FP2, DRAGON / PENSKE AUTOSPORT’s Sergio Sette Camara felt he could push on his first quick lap but the Brazilian pushed a little too hard, clipping the inside wall of the final turn before finding the outside wall on the exit. A shake of the head from Team Principal Jay Penske and what looks like a big rebuild job for the American outfit.

A Red Flag ensued and once the track was clear, Group A’s runners had enough time for two efforts at a lap. The final flurry of laps at maximum attack saw Frijns, Cassidy and Vandoorne make it through with standings leader Mortara on the bubble and out of contention for the Duels as Buemi shoved the Venturi down in to fifth at the last – by just 0.008s.

Midway through Group B, rain began to sweep in from the Buttermilk Channel, making life tough for those yet to have a lap in the bank. Di Grassi, Sims, Bird and Wehrlein had gone early and made it through to the Duels. Mortara’s nearest threats – Evans and Vergne – found themselves cut adrift and unable to make it through and on Rows 7 and 8 on the grid.