Evans takes maiden FE pole, Vergne 17th
ByAutoSport
Updated 10/06/2018 at 14:09 GMT
Mitch Evans and Jaguar claimed a maiden Formula E pole position as the New Zealander topped qualifying for the Zurich E-Prix, while championship leader Jean Eric Vergne was 17th.
In this handout provided by FIA Formula E - Mitch Evans (NZL), Panasonic Jaguar Racing, Jaguar I-Type II in action during the Marrakech ePrix, Round 3 of the 2017/18 FIA Formula E Series at the Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan on January
Image credit: Getty Images
Running last in the superpole segment after topping the qualifying group phase, Evans attacked the 1.5-mile Zurich street circuit - taking a wider line than his rivals heading over the bumps approaching the fast right-hand Turn 1.
Evans was behind Sam Bird and Andre Lotterer through sector one, but a fastest split in the second segment gave him enough of an advantage to pip Vergne's Techeetah team-mate Lotterer to pole by 0.137 seconds.
Despite that rapid sector one time in superpole, Bird could not keep up his momentum around the rest of the lap - slightly clouting the wall with his left-front wheel at the exit of the Turn 9 chicane - and he ended up 0.211s behind Evans and third.
Dragon duo Jerome D'Ambrosiso and Jose Maria Lopez made it through to superpole with two rapid laps at the end of the fourth and final group qualifying segment.
In superpole, D'Ambrosio momentarily matched Lotterer and Bird before fading to fourth in the final sector.
Lopez, who will drop three places on the grid for failing to slow for a yellow flag in FP1, held a dramatic sideways drift at Turn 1 to keep his car out of the barriers, but it cost him nearly a second in sector one and he ended up fifth and last of the five superpole drivers.
Practice pacesetter Lucas di Grassi missed the cut for superpole due to D'Ambrosio and Lopez improving with their late laps.
Sebastien Buemi also missed out on the shootout and will start seventh.
Nico Prost was just 0.023s behind his Renault e.dams team-mate in eighth, as Berlin winner Daniel Abt took ninth in the second Audi.
Felix Rosenqvist - the FP2 pacesetter - rounded out the top 10 for Mahindra Racing.
Nelson Piquet qualified 11th, just ahead of Alex Lynn, who is under investigation for a potential breach of Article 23.12 of FE's sporting regulations - entering the fast lane before the pit exit was opened for group three.
Like Buemi, Abt and Rosenqvist, Vergne failed to progress from the first group to take to the track.
The former Toro Rosso Formula 1 driver was fully committed going through Turn 1, but ultimately finished fifth in his group, 0.543s slower than group-topper Bird.
Vergne was eventually shuffled down to 17th and is also facing an investigation, for possibly breaching Article 33.3 - activating the 200kW mode before the final sector ahead of his qualifying flying lap.
Abt faced a similar investigation ahead of the Berlin but was allowed to keep his pole and just received a reprimand.
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