Pascal Wehrlein claimed pole position for the Formula E season opener in Sao Paulo, beating Nissan's Oliver Rowland by 0.099 seconds in the final Duels qualifying session.

Despite trailing Rowland by 0.180s in the first sector, Wehrlein's TAG Heuer Porsche proved faster in sectors two and three, securing his seventh career pole and second consecutive top spot in Sao Paulo.

Wehrlein's path to pole included topping the second qualifying group ahead of Mortara, Guenther, and Nato, followed by victories over Nato and Guenther in the Duels. Rowland reached the final by finishing third in his group and defeating da Costa and Dennis in subsequent Duels, the latter by just 0.001 seconds.

However, Wehrlein downplayed the advantage of pole position, citing the energy-sensitive nature of the Sao Paulo circuit. Drivers will need to manage their energy carefully, starting with approximately 50% of the power required for a flat-out race.

Final Starting Grid (Top 10):

1. Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche)
2. Oliver Rowland (Nissan)
3. Jake Dennis (Andretti)
4. Maximilian Guenther
5. Antonio Felix da Costa
6. Norman Nato
7. Edoardo Mortara
8. Jean-Eric Vergne
9. Stoffel Vandoorne
10. Nick Cassidy

Notable mentions include Lucas di Grassi starting his home race in 14th, while Mitch Evans will start from the back of the grid after failing to set a time due to a brake system error during the second group session.

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