Vergne strong again in Misano, big crash for title candidate Cassidy
During a shortened second Formula E free practice session in Misano, Jean-Eric Vergne set the fastest time. Jake Hughes in the McLaren is the second fastest. Sébastien Buemi closes the top three.
In an exciting Formula E season, in which a different driver won each of the five races, this is the first time the electric racing class will descend on the Misano circuit. Two E-Prix will be held at the Italian circuit on the weekend of 13 and 14 April.
In the second free practice which lasted only 30 minutes, there was a red flag after 10 minutes as Sergio Sette Cãmara was stationary on the track. As in Formula 1, the clock kept running. With 10 minutes left on the clock, the session resumed. To make up some missed time, five minutes were added to the session.
The track in Misano is a permanent circuit where, for example, MotoGP runs. Formula E runs mainly on street circuits. The track limits look set to be a big challenge for the drivers this weekend.
Where do De Vries and Frijns stand?
Former Formula 1 driver Nyck de Vries drove his Mahindra to the fifteenth-fastest time. The other Dutchman in the electric racing class is Robin Frijns. He managed to set the seventh-fastest time. The need is for both men to score points, given that they will miss the Berlin E-Prix due to a schedule clash with the WEC.
In the end, it is Jean-Eric Vergne, Jake Hughes and Sébastien Buemi who top the timesheet. One minute before the end of the session, Nick Cassidy drove his car into the wall. It remains to be seen if the number two car in the championship can be made in time for qualifying. This will be run at 10:20 am.