Nyck de Vries takes pole as Mahindra locks out London E-Prix front row
Mahindra makes GEN3 history in London
Nyck de Vries will start the 2026 Hankook London E-Prix from Julius Baer Pole Position after leading a historic Mahindra Racing front-row lockout in qualifying. The result comes in the final Formula E race of the GEN3 era, with Mahindra also targeting third place in the Teamsâ World Championship.
De Vries produced an outright track record of 1m06.925s in the final duel, defeating teammate Edoardo Mortara in an all-Mahindra battle for pole. It was the first time Mahindra had secured both places on the front row, giving the team a strong platform for the season finale.
The performance continues de Vriesâ pace from earlier in the weekend. He had already topped Group B and led London E-Prix FP3 for Mahindra, before carrying that momentum through every stage of qualifying.
Wehrlein beaten, Dennis faces recovery drive
Mahindra swept both semi-final duels. De Vries eliminated championship leader Pascal Wehrlein of Porsche, while Mortara defeated Nico MĂŒller in the second all-Porsche versus Mahindra contest. Wehrlein had reached the semi-finals by beating Nick Cassidy in the quarter-finals, marking his 49th career Duel-stage appearance, a Formula E record.
De Vries also knocked out title contender Mitch Evans in the quarter-finals. Dan Ticktum of CUPRA KIRO encountered an issue on his lap, automatically sending MĂŒller into the semi-finals, while Mortara progressed after beating Taylor Barnard of DS PENSKE.
Wehrlein will start from the second row, keeping the championship leader within immediate reach of the front of the field. Jake Dennis, meanwhile, finished eighth in Group B and will start 16th. The Andretti driver sits five points behind Wehrlein in the championship, leaving him with a substantial recovery task in the decisive race.
Race-day pressure at the ExCeL
The London finale carries title and teamsâ championship significance, with nine drivers still in mathematical contention and only two races remaining in the GEN3 era. The race is scheduled for Sunday 16 August at 15:05 local time.
Mahindraâs qualifying advantage is clear, but the championship stakes ensure that de Vriesâ pole is only the opening move. Wehrleinâs second-row start and Dennisâ position deep in the grid set up a race in which every place will carry weight.
Simone Scanu
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.