Pascal Wehrlein Secures Crucial Berlin Pole to Close Championship Gap

Wehrlein Delivers for Porsche on Home Soil

Pascal Wehrlein continued Porsche’s dominant run in Berlin, securing the Julius Baer Pole Position for Round 8 of the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. On a weekend where the German manufacturer is celebrating its 75th motorsport anniversary, Wehrlein’s performance perfectly complemented Nico Müller’s victory in yesterday’s race.

The Road to Pole: Duels Breakdown

Semi Finals

In the other bracket, Joel Eriksson (Envision Racing) went up against Wehrlein. Eriksson was already assured of a career-best starting position, but a small mistake early on his flying lap proved costly, handing the victory to the Porsche driver by a margin of almost half a second.

Quarter Finals

The Quarter Finals delivered intense intra-team battles and historic milestones. First up, Felipe Drugovich faced Barnard. While it was Drugovich’s first time reaching the Duels in consecutive races, Barnard’s experience—making his fourth Duels appearance this season—shone through as he took the win.

Next, the Citroën Racing garage held its breath as teammates Nick Cassidy and Jean-Eric Vergne went head-to-head. In the first Duel between the two since the manufacturer entered Formula E, Cassidy set the benchmark to progress.

The third Quarter Final was a battle of the newcomers, featuring Zane Maloney and Joel Eriksson. In one of the least-experienced Duels in the format's history—both drivers had only one previous Duel appearance, with Maloney’s debut coming just yesterday—Eriksson emerged victorious.

Finally, Wehrlein faced his former Porsche teammate, Antonio Felix da Costa. Despite Da Costa’s historical success at Tempelhof, Wehrlein soared into the Semi Finals, determined to secure a home pole for Porsche.

Group Stages: Shocks and Standouts

Group A

Nick Cassidy set the pace in Group A, leading a strong showing for Citroën Racing as teammate Jean-Eric Vergne also advanced in fourth. They were joined by Barnard in second and Drugovich in third.

The session was defined by a major upset: championship leader Edoardo Mortara was knocked out. The Mahindra Racing driver, who was aiming to set a new record for the most poles at a single venue in Formula E history, made a slight error on his final flying lap, kissing the wall and bleeding crucial time. Mortara had previously denied Wehrlein pole in yesterday's session, but today the tables turned.

Yesterday’s race winner, Nico Müller, could only manage sixth in the group, visibly frustrated with his Porsche's performance, while reigning World Champion Oliver Rowland (Nissan) languished in ninth.

Group B

Antonio Felix da Costa dominated Group B, sailing into the Duels with a blistering time of 58.439s—over a tenth of a second quicker than the rest of the field. Joel Eriksson followed in second, marking a mega session for the Envision driver at the track where he made his Formula E debut in Season 10. Zane Maloney secured his spot in the Duels for the second consecutive race, while Wehrlein grabbed the final transfer position.

At the back of the pack, both CUPRA KIROs struggled, finishing last in their respective groups, with Pepe Martí only getting one chance to set a flying lap.

(For a deeper dive into how the grid is formed, read our guide on how the Formula E Qualifying format works.)