We’ve reached the first race of 2026, and round 2 of Season 12, here in Mexico. Returning for a 10th time in Formula E, the 20 drivers got to experience a slightly altered circuit, heading into this weekend.
Warming Up to the Circuit
As the countdown to FP1 hit zero, the drivers wasted no time immediately getting onto the circuit. The track changes at turn 8 seemed favourited by the drivers, as the removal of the chicane allows more speed towards turn 9.
Some of the wall locations around the circuit have also been shifted, which will impact not only lap times when breaking, but also overtaking opportunities. While today’s session didn’t show much action, this will be on the drivers’ minds. Initial lap times saw the Andretti of Jake Dennis topping the table with a 1:07.910.
Pascal Wehrlein found himself stuck behind a few drivers while trying to set an initial push lap. Impeding looked a small issue but eventually the Porsche driver completed a lap good enough for P2 at the time .
Pushing the Limits
A close call for Joel Eriksson where he was just inches from hitting the wall. He was lucky to just cut the grass but the minor incident showed just how fine the margins around the circuit are. Also on the limit at times was Dan Ticktum, who slid the rear end of his Cupra Kiro around the final corner. Early lap times from the Brit sat him midfield.
His teammate Pepe Martí spent the first half of the session sat down towards the bottom of the grid. His dramatic collision in Brazil last race was far from the ideal start he would have hoped for in Formula E. This weekend the team are aiming for a solid finish, but this circuit has always proved tricky.
With 20 minutes gone, Jake Dennis remained comfortable with the fastest lap time. The Jaguar TCS drivers Mitch Evans and Antonio Felix da Costa also had a solid start to the session. On the other hand, the Lola Yamaha duo found themselves still sat 19th and 20th, not finding much initial pace.
Closing Stage Flying Laps
As the session started to come to a close, the drivers began to push, getting a true sense of the cars pace and control around the circuit. These laps showed that traction is key, and the Porsche looked as though it had more of it. While others thought to control the car at times, the Porsches’ seemed to be a bit more at ease. With 10 minutes to go, Wehrlein and his teammate Nico Müller stole first and second.
Lucas Di Grassi struggled throughout the entire session, experiencing braking issues on one of his later runs. He came onto the radio to express his issues, saying the car wouldn’t brake. FP1 is mainly about trial and error, but Lola Yamaha will hope to resolve this before FP2 tomorrow.
Nyck De Vries seemed to be holding back in his Friday practice strategy. No major laps were made from him today, sitting relatively low in the order all session, finishing 19th. His teammate looked to be on a different strategy for FP2 as Mortara finished the session P11. This is likely not a representation of their pace.
Chequered Flag Out
Final flying laps came in with some late session drama following suit. Nick Cassidy making contact with the wall. Less than idea start for him as he finishes P13.
Impeding continues to be a problem, as Dan Ticktum was impeded by Taylor Barnard, ultimately ruining his final run lap. The stewards post session will likely be busy looking as those instances.
Jake Dennis managed to return to P1 by the chequered flag, edging out Wehrlein by only 0.037 seconds. Behind him was the newly decorated Nissan of Oliver Rowland. The top ten were only separated by 0.277 seconds, showing true pace in the grid and around the circuit.