Maximilian Günther has shown incredible pace this weekend. From claiming pole position and converting that into the win, he’s been unstoppable. After topping the timesheets during Free Practice 3 in Jeddah, the German driver will surely give it his all in Qualifying.
Last night’s race in Jeddah was an exciting one. Maximilian Günther converted his pole position into victory at the Jeddah E-Prix Race 1 after an intense battle with Oliver Rowland. The race began dramatically with incidents involving Sam Bird, Pascal Wehrlein, and Mitch Evans, leading to an early Safety Car deployment. While Rowland managed to take the lead after the restart, strategic use of Attack Mode and Pit Boost saw multiple position changes throughout the race.
In a thrilling final lap, Günther made an impressive outside move to overtake the energy-depleted Rowland, breaking Formula E’s 17-race streak of pole winners failing to convert to victory. Rookie Taylor Barnard secured his second Formula E podium in third place and earned Driver of the Day honours, while Rowland’s second-place finish moved him to the top of the Championship standings.
The drivers will not be lining up in the pits for the extra boost of energy today, but before more excitement can take place, the drivers were ready to head out for the final Free Practice of the Jeddah E-Prix. Today’s conditions looked slightly different as there was rain overnight, and the track was still damp. Hopefully, Günther got a good night’s sleep after his win.
Lights out for the final Free Practice
The weather looked bleak, but the drivers made their way from the pit lane on to the track. With mixed conditions and possible rain for later, Nico Müller locked up into the T13 hairpin. The Swiss driver hasn’t been having a good weekend so far. Will he be able to turn it around during the Qualifying session?
Norman Nato set a benchmark time of 1:17.552, with his Nissan, while Rowland already showed what the car is capable of last night. Günther was feeling comfortable after his win as he jumped to the top of the timesheets with a 1:17.398. Robin Frijns was up to third, visibly having a better time than yesterday, where we saw his Envision car have an issue. Sebastian Buemi took a turn at the top after a first full power lap, using the 350 kW and AWD, to clock a 1:15.941.
25 minutes of FP3 to go ⌛️@Sebastien_Buemi puts it P1 as he is the first to take full power ⚡️#JeddahEPrix pic.twitter.com/EBiSxgf6n2
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) February 15, 2025
Jake Hughes and his Maserati outfit have suddenly come to a stop at the main straight. A quick reset and Hughes was up and driving into the pits. His teammate, Stoffel Vandoorne, was having more luck, clocking a time of 1:15.844s, putting him first. The moment didn’t last long because David Beckman, put in a lap five thousandths faster than the Belgian driver.
Podium finisher Taylor Barnard was looking decent, slotting to the top. Will be make the podium again tonight?
NEOM McLaren were showing great pace as Sam Bird slipped into second behind his teammate. Barnard improved the benchmark even further with a 1:15.116.
Jaguar is struggling
Nick Cassidy went for hist first full power lap, but his pace seemed off. The Jaguar driver was struggling with his car. António Félix da Costa was also struggling, reporting a handbrake effect in the last two chicanes.
The final stages of the session began and Günther found some form this weekend, as he took the top spot with a 1:15.044. Barnard was pushed back to second, while Rowland was in third. With the chequered flag waived, that was your top three. The TAG Heuer Porsche duo round out the top 5.
CHEQUERED FLAG 🏁
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) February 15, 2025
Our winner from yesterday tops FP3 ⏱️ @maxg_official is on a roll! 👊 #JeddahEPrix pic.twitter.com/WuRe51itRB
With the Qualifying session up next, who will claim pole position?
Feature Image Credit: FIA Formula E | Simon Galloway
