Posted on 23rd April 2016
DS Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird claimed his third pole position of the Formula E season in qualifying for the inaugural Paris ePrix ahead of Lucas di Grassi and Jean-Eric Vergne.
After setting the fastest time in the group stage, Bird overturned a sector-one deficit to championship leader Lucas di Grassi to top the superpole shootout by 0.3s. Even though di Grassi tried his best to beat Bird, he did enough to finish second ahead of Bird's team mate Jean-Eric Vergne who finished in third place.
Venturi Racing driver Stephane Sarrazin will line up in fourth place after having been fortunate just to make it out of the group phase after a bizarre accident that eliminated his team-mate and practice pacesetter Mike Conway.
Mahindra Racing driver Nick Heidfeld spun into the barrier at Turn 11 and tried to rejoin the track as Conway came through the corner. The two drivers collided with each other and caused considerable front-end damage to both cars. This then affected and delayed Sarrazin; who was just behind Conway on track.
The officials extended that group’s session to allow all except Heidfeld and Sebastien Buemi, who had already completed his 200kW run to return to the track, but Conway’s car was too damaged and his spare not charged meaning he will start in seventeenth place, with Heidfeld in eighteenth place.
Nico Prost was slowest of the superpole runners and will start the race in fifth place and was three places ahead of Sebastian Buemi who had a difficult session. But with the series benchmark team is struggling in Paris, with low ambient temperatures making it difficult switch on the Michelin tyres.
Buemi wound up eighth ahead of Andretti Autosport’s Robin Frijns and Oliver Turvey and more than a second off Bird’s pace. Turvey’s NEXTEV TCR team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr and Antonio Felix da Costa complete the top 10 on the grid.
Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa
