Edoardo Mortara Secures Dramatic Pole in Jeddah 2026

Formula E, Sportrik Media – Edoardo Mortara secured pole position for the 2026 Formula E Jeddah E-Prix, delivering Mahindra Racing its first pole in almost two years after defeating Maximilian Günther in the final duel at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Throughout qualifying, Edoardo Mortara appeared to hold a clear advantage over the field, ultimately setting a 1m 15.336s lap to clinch pole. The Swiss driver demonstrated superior consistency, particularly across the opening sectors of the fast Corniche layout.

The session produced several major surprises. Of the top four drivers in the championship standings, only Pascal Wehrlein progressed to the duels. Reigning world champion Oliver Rowland, alongside Nick Cassidy and Jake Dennis, was eliminated during the group stage. Jake Dennis voiced frustration over the Hankook tyres allocated for qualifying, describing his car as feeling like a “shopping trolley.”

In the final duel, Edoardo Mortara built a two-tenths advantage over Maximilian Günther across the first two sectors. Although he clipped the wall late in the lap, his margin remained sufficient to secure pole position.

To reach the final, Edoardo Mortara defeated Nico Müller in the quarter-finals before overcoming Norman Nato in the semi-finals. On the opposite side of the bracket, Maximilian Günther advanced past Antonio Felix da Costa and then edged Pascal Wehrlein in the semi-finals after the Porsche driver lost time with a mistake in the final sector.

During the group stage, Edoardo Mortara topped Group A, joined in the duel positions by Norman Nato, Nico Müller and Jean-Eric Vergne. In Group B, Pascal Wehrlein set the fastest time, ahead of Antonio Felix da Costa, Maximilian Günther and Taylor Barnard.

With this pole position, Edoardo Mortara places Mahindra Racing in a strong strategic position heading into the opening race of the Jeddah double-header, where energy management and execution under night-time conditions are expected to prove decisive.