Pole Position and Frustration in Mexico

Sébastien Buemi endured a mixed weekend at the Mexico City E-Prix, Round 2 of the ABB FIA Formula E Season 12. After delivering an outstanding qualifying performance to secure pole position, Envision Racing’s first since Season 9, the Swiss driver was unfortunately unable to convert that pace into points following a sequence of unfortunate race incidents.

Outstanding qualifying performance
Buemi once again demonstrated his experience and raw speed during qualifying. He dominated the group stages, topping Group B with a series of fastest laps before progressing confidently through the duels.

He first defeated Oliver Rowland in the Quarter Final despite a difficult opening sector, before producing another strong lap to beat Mitch Evans and secure his place in the final. Facing Taylor Barnard in the shootout for pole, Buemi delivered a competitive lap. Although Barnard initially set the quickest time, a track limits infringement handed Buemi his 14th Formula E pole position, marking an important milestone for both the driver and the team.

On the other side of the garage, Joel Eriksson narrowly missed out on progressing to the duels on his debut at the Mexico City E-Prix, lining up 15th on the grid.

A cruel race despite strong pace
Starting from the front row, Buemi’s race quickly took a turn for the worse. While defending his position into Turn 1, he ran wide and dropped to the back of the field. Undeterred, he launched an impressive recovery drive, carving his way through the pack to return to the top 12.

A well timed Attack Mode activation then propelled Buemi up to sixth place, putting him firmly in contention for a strong points finish. Unfortunately, bad luck struck once again when he suffered a puncture followed by front wing damage, forcing him to pit twice and ending any hopes of salvaging his race.

Joel Eriksson steadily worked his way forward throughout the race, but issues with Attack Mode activation cost him valuable time. He crossed the line in tenth position, only to be handed a post race penalty that dropped him out of the points.

Encouraging signs despite disappointment
While the final result was a bitter pill to swallow for Envision Racing, the Mexico City weekend showcased the true potential of the package. Sébastien Buemi’s pole position and competitive race pace underline the team’s ability to fight at the front of the grid.

The Silverstone based squad leaves Mexico with confidence and determination, focused on turning this speed into results at the next round of the championship, the Miami E-Prix on January 31.