Wehrlein tops final morning of pre-season Formula E test
Ex-Formula 1 driver Pascal Wehrlein set the fastest time of 2019 Formula E pre-season testing so far to lead the way on the final morning at Valencia.


Mahindra Racing’s Wehrlein grabbed the top spot as the three-hour session entered its final 15 minutes, which were then cut short when BMW Andretti driver Alexander Sims crashed at the chicane on the start/finish straight.
Wehrlein’s 1m15.190s is 0.187s quicker than Robin Frijns’s best time from the second day of the test on Wednesday.
Dragon Racing driver Nico Muller trailed Wehrlein by just 0.008s in second place, with DS Techeetah’s Antonio Felix da Costa shuffled back to third after leading most of the running on Friday morning.
Maximilian Gunther finished fourth for BMW, ahead of Sebastien Buemi (Nissan e.dams) – who also enjoyed a brief stint at the top of the times – and Sims, who damaged the right-front corner of his car in the session’s dying moments.
Sims hit the barriers at the exit of the tight right-left-right chicane on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo’s main straight and pulled over, which caused the only red flag of the morning and ended the session a few minutes early.
Mitch Evans was seventh ahead of reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne, initial Friday pacesetter Felipe Massa (Venturi) and Virgin’s Sam Bird.
Audi drivers Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi ended up just outside the top 10 in 11th and 12th.
New FE entrants Mercedes and Porsche had a quiet start to Friday, with Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries taking P15 and P20 for the former.
Porsche pair Andre Lotterer and Neel Jani were 16th and 22nd, as NIO’s Oliver Turvey and Ma Qing Hua brought up the rear of the field.
The test will conclude with a final three-hour session on Friday afternoon, which will start with another ‘test race’.
Vandoorne won the first ‘race’ on Wednesday.
Session results
Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
1 | 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | Mahindra | 1'15.190 | 38 | |
2 | 7 | Nico Muller | Dragon | 1'15.198 | 0.008 | 35 |
3 | 13 | Antonio Felix da Costa | DS Techeetah | 1'15.293 | 0.103 | 39 |
4 | 28 | Maximilian Gunther | BMW | 1'15.296 | 0.106 | 48 |
5 | 23 | Sebastien Buemi | Nissan | 1'15.328 | 0.138 | 34 |
6 | 27 | Alexander Sims | BMW | 1'15.359 | 0.169 | 39 |
7 | 20 | Mitch Evans | Jaguar | 1'15.366 | 0.176 | 31 |
8 | 25 | Jean-Eric Vergne | DS Techeetah | 1'15.480 | 0.290 | 35 |
9 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Venturi | 1'15.504 | 0.314 | 38 |
10 | 2 | Sam Bird | Virgin | 1'15.576 | 0.386 | 38 |
11 | 66 | Daniel Abt | Audi | 1'15.673 | 0.483 | 31 |
12 | 11 | Lucas di Grassi | Audi | 1'15.675 | 0.485 | 30 |
13 | 6 | Brendon Hartley | Dragon | 1'15.682 | 0.492 | 36 |
14 | 48 | Edoardo Mortara | Venturi | 1'15.684 | 0.494 | 44 |
15 | 5 | Stoffel Vandoorne | Mercedes | 1'15.736 | 0.546 | 39 |
16 | 36 | Andre Lotterer | Porsche | 1'15.809 | 0.619 | 29 |
17 | 4 | Robin Frijns | Virgin | 1'15.819 | 0.629 | 35 |
18 | 22 | Oliver Rowland | Nissan | 1'15.867 | 0.677 | 26 |
19 | 51 | James Calado | Jaguar | 1'15.880 | 0.690 | 46 |
20 | 17 | Nyck de Vries | Mercedes | 1'15.916 | 0.726 | 54 |
21 | 64 | Jerome d'Ambrosio | Mahindra | 1'16.082 | 0.892 | 32 |
22 | 18 | Neel Jani | Porsche | 1'16.158 | 0.968 | 34 |
23 | 3 | Oliver Turvey | NIO | 1'16.610 | 1.420 | 32 |
24 | 33 | Ma Qing Hua | NIO | 1'17.047 | 1.857 | 25 |

Frijns fastest, Vandoorne 'wins' simulated Valencia race
Vergne: "Logical" for eco-minded Hamilton to join Formula E

Latest news
Why de Vries' FP1 outing could add a new path to his current crossroads
A Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries is currently considering where his future in motorsport lies. Continuing in WEC and Formula E is possible and he's also courted glances Stateside after impressing in an IndyCar test. But ahead of his Formula 1 FP1 debut with Williams, he could have another option if he impresses...
How Jake Dennis’ struggles turned him into a Formula E frontrunner
Having emerged as one of Formula E’s strongest drivers in his one-and-a-half seasons in the championship, Jake Dennis cemented his place in the series with a breakout maiden season. But it's not always been smooth sailing for the Briton
How Vandoorne recaptured Mercedes' winning feeling in Monaco
The Mercedes Formula 1 team is struggling, but its Formula E arm is in fine form at the moment and once again leads the drivers' standings courtesy of Stoffel Vandoorne. Here's how the Belgian took a well-judged Monaco victory to emerge at the head of the brewing four-way championship tussle
Will lighter, greener, faster Gen3 deliver on Formula E's many promises?
With a fighter-jet inspired design, revamped technical specifications and a new tyre supplier, Formula E's Gen3 car is set to shake up the series. But can it deliver on all of the promises that Formula E has set out to ensure that manufacturers consider the outlay on going racing in an all-electric arena worthwhile?
Why Nissan's e.dams buyout signifies its Formula E victory intent
The e.dams Formula E squad is one of the most storied in the championship's short history as its original benchmark, but its successes in the Gen2 era have been fleeting by comparison. Nissan's decision to take full control ahead of Gen3 marks a statement of intent that it intends to get back to winning ways
How Evans came, saw and conquered Formula E in Rome
Mitch Evans and Jaguar dominated the Rome E-Prix weekend, winning both races to bring alive a season in which he'd scored just one point from the previous three weekends. Supreme overtaking and strategy proved key in bringing the Kiwi back into title contention on a weekend that he was, his rivals conceded, “in a different league”
How NIO 333's new home is helping it prepare for Formula E's Gen3 era
Under a former guise, the NIO 333 Formula E squad took victory in the championship's inaugural season, but a difficult recent history has resigned the team to the back of the field. Now with a new base and the much-vaunted Gen3 regulations incoming, the Chinese team is looking reinvigorated.
Why Porsche's Formula E breakthrough points to a flawed narrative
A crushing 1-2 in Mexico meant Porsche broke its Formula E duck in fine style to underline its status as a credible title contender. But while its success has taken longer to arrive relative to Mercedes, there are several reasons why their situations aren't directly comparable and, crucially, it appears to be an equal now the series has moved away from its loathed qualifying format