São Paulo E-Prix: Sébastian Buemi Goes Fastest in Rapid FP1

Former Formula E Champion Sébastian Buemi made the perfect start to this weekend’s inaugural São Paulo E-Prix, as the Envision Racing driver set the fastest time in the opening session of the weekend.

After a four week break, the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is finally back this weekend with the inaugural São Paulo E-Prix, the third consecutive new host city this season. The circuit looked stunning during Free Practice One as the sun beamed against the bumpy track. The venue will likely be one of the fastest on the calendar, with the circuit boasting two long straights. It’s also expected to be the hottest of the season, with track temperatures expected to reach sixty-degrees celsius.

As the first session of the weekend got underway, it was René Rast who led the field out onto the circuit which included the returning Robin Frijns, who hasn’t raced since the season-opener in Mexico City. Mahindra Racing and the ABT CUPRA Formula E Team are also back this weekend, after addressing their rear suspension concerns. To no surprise the times tumbled at the start of the session, with championship leader Pascal Wehrlein having sat top after the opening five minutes on a 1:14.883.

Traffic was a big problem at the start of the session as all the drivers tried to learn the circuit, with many having conducted two push laps followed by a cooldown lap. Reigning World Champion Stoffel Vandoorne was one driver who was clearly pushing, with the Belgian having crashed into a barrier at the opening corner, breaking his front wing in the process. He was able to reverse out of the barrier before returning to the pits.

After ten minutes it was Wehrlein’s team-mate António Félix da Costa who moved to the top of the timesheets by breaking into the high 1:13s, with the Cape Town E-Prix winner targeting another strong weekend. He was quickly displaced by Jake Hughes and Mitch Evans, who both enjoyed a strong start to the session. Hughes remained at the top on a 1:13.816 as FP1 moved into its second half, with the majority of the field having turned their attention to data gathering rather than one-lap pace.

Edoardo Mortara was a man on the move as the session entered its final ten minutes, with the Swiss driver having moved up to second. Mortara was quickly pushed down a couple of places following a mega lap from Jake Dennis and Jean-Éric Vergne, with the latter having moved to the top before being demoted a place by Dennis. Both of those were then dropped a place by Sam Bird, as the times moved into the low 1:13s. Evans then jumped back to the front with eight minutes remaining after setting a 1:13.274, before Bird was back to the top on a 1:13.081.

Several drivers were suddenly setting purple sectors as the session reached its final seven minutes, with Vandoorne having been the first to move into the 1:12s, after setting a 1:12.645. The track was clearly getting quicker and quicker, with Dennis having also set a strong lap. Hughes then jumped to the top on a 1:12.579, demonstrating that the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team have pace in Brazil. He was quickly replaced at the top by Buemi, though, who posted a 1:12.341.

With two minutes remaining in the first session of the weekend, Dan Ticktum jumped to second but was still over a tenth behind Buemi, who’s time was clearly very strong. As the session came to an end it was Buemi who remained on top from rookie Sacha Fenestraz, with Ticktum having ended the session in third. Vandoorne and Evans rounded-off the top five. At the bottom was the returning Frijns, whilst home heroes Lucas di Grassi and Sérgio Sette Câmara could only manage ninth and tenth respectively.

São Paulo E-Prix Round 6: Free Practice One Full Results