Mitch Evans topped the opening practice session of the Sao Paulo E-Prix, as Jaguar TCS Racing dominated a sweltering 30-minute session.
Evans’ best time of 1m12.555s was 0.221s quicker than teammate Nick Cassidy, with the pair the only drivers to break the 1m 13s barrier. But while the factory team locked out the top two spots on the timesheets, customer outfit Envision Racing could only manage 12th and 16th with Sebastien Buemi and Robin Frijns respectively.
Edorardo Mortara was third quickest for Mahindra Racing, setting a best time of 1m13.096, with ERT’s Dan Ticktum and TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein rounding out the top five.
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Maserati MSG Maximilian Guenther edged NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes to sixth, beating the Briton by 0.035s, with Porsche Antonio Felix da Costa even closer, just 0.010 off Hughes in eighth.
Jehan Daruvala was ninth quickest, Maserati joining Porsche and Jaguar as the only teams to get both drivers into the top 10. Andretti Porsche’s Norman Nato went 10th fastest, ahead of the other ERT of Sergio Sette Camara and the aforementioned Buemi.
Reigning champion Jake Dennis was 13th in the other Andretti, ahead of Abt Cupra’s Nico Mueller, DS Penske’s Jean-Eric Vergne, Frijns, and home hero Lucas Di Grassi.
Nissan’s Oliver Rowland, Mahinda’s Nyck de Vries, McLaren’s Sam Bird, DS Penske’s Stoffel Vandoorne — last year’s Sao Paulo E-Prix polesitter who was atop the times early in the session — and Nissan’s Sacha Fenestraz completed the field, with all 20 cars being covered by less than a second and a half.