Formula E Media
General
ABT Cupra surprises everyone in FE qualifying Berlin: Frijns on pole
- GPblog.com
In a rainy qualifying session for the Berlin E-Prix, ABT Cupra, with Robin Frijns and Nico Müller in its ranks, caused a big surprise in the wet. ABT Cupra are usually at the back of the grid, struggling throughout the season, but it is now Frijns who gets to start from pole position. Müller will start alongside him in second place after a superb qualifying session at their home E-Prix.
In the first group of 11 drivers, Jean-Eric Vergne proved to be the fastest. Pascal Wehrlein, the current number one in the world championship, closed in second place, just over two hundredths behind. Nico Müller set the third fastest time, while Jake Dennis was fourth and the last of this group to join the knockout stage.
The track remained wet, although drier lines appeared, allowing the track to quicken. Sebastien Buemi was fastest in the second group, and Envision Racing teammate Nick Cassidy's time was also good for a place among the first four. Robin Frijns and Mitch Evans went through as numbers two and three.
Knockout stage in Berlin
In the quarter-finals, Müller surprised his opponent Wehrlein. Vergne in turn won his duel against Jake Dennis, while Frijns still defeated Evans despite a poor first sector. Cassidy beat teammate Buemi, but his time was deleted due to incorrect use of the '350kw mode'. As a result, Buemi was able to go through.
In the semi-finals, Vergne was beaten by Müller. Frijns also managed to beat Buemi, thanks to a fantastic last sector, meaning that the two ABT Cupra locked out the front row for the E-Prix later this afternoon.
"This is unbelievable. Nobody expected this. To have two cars in the final is a miracle, a dream. Everyone is happy, and everyone's got tears in their eyes. I don't care who wins," said ABT Cupra team boss Thomas Biermaier just before the final. In a duel between them, it was ultimately Frijns who pulled away from pole position. The race starts at 3pm.
Big surprise in Formula E
The ABT Cupra team has not yet qualified higher than 13th place this year, with the team last in the world championship with zero points. The Nissan team occupies the penultimate place with eighteen points.