Mexico City served up challenging conditions for Formula E’s second practice session of the day, with overnight rain leaving drivers to navigate a treacherous track surface. Maserati’s Jake Hughes emerged fastest with a 1:25.808 in the closing minutes, outpacing Nick Cassidy by just 0.157s as the circuit began to dry.
Formula E roared back to life in Mexico City for the first time in 2025, as Free Practice 1 set an intense pace ahead of today’s qualifying and race. Porsche’s António Félix Da Costa dominated the opening session, clocking a sub-1:11 lap time while just over a tenth of a second separated the top three drivers. Reigning champion Pascal Wehrlein made his comeback following his São Paulo accident, as drivers tackled the modified Turn 1 layout with its faster but tighter approach. Teams now head into the second practice session, watching if anyone can match Da Costa’s early pace and how the evolving track conditions will influence the running order.
Green light for FP2
Rain-soaked conditions greeted drivers for the second practice session, following overnight precipitation that left the track treacherously slick. Dan Ticktum ventured out first, immediately reporting a completely damp surface with no dry lines. The wet conditions seemed to favour Envision’s Robin Frijns, who boasts an impressive wet-weather record including a Berlin pole and Paris victory in similar conditions.
Track limits quickly became an issue, with Oliver Rowland and Lucas di Grassi falling foul of the regulations early on. Jean-Éric Vergne established the initial benchmark with a 1:32:484, edging teammate Maximilian Günther by 0.248s. The Maserati duo of Günther and Hughes showed strong pace, claiming third and fourth.
A damp start to FP2 🌦️
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) January 11, 2025
Drivers' struggling to find grip early in the session. @Hankook_Sport #MexicoCityEPrix pic.twitter.com/FfLnKcAEMB
David Beckmann’s challenging weekend continued, nursing rear suspension damage from his FP1 wall contact, while Sebastian Buemi wrestled visibly with grip through the final corner. São Paulo podium finisher Taylor Barnard, after impressively claiming P2 in yesterday’s dry session, struggled with track limits alongside Nico Müller.
Track conditions testing our drivers in FP2 💪
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) January 11, 2025
Sébastien Buemi slipping and sliding around the final corner. @Hankook_Sport #MexicoCityEPrix pic.twitter.com/Dhptidnnho
DS Penske dominated mid-session, with Günther posting 1:31.368 before conditions began to improve. António Félix da Costa noted the emerging dry line as Jake Dennis briefly claimed P1 with a 1:30.776. Nick Cassidy’s spin at turn 16 demonstrated the still-treacherous surface, while rookie Zane Maloney’s request for additional qualifying simulation laps was denied.
Conditions slowly improved
Da Costa reported the track was slowly starting to dry up after the sun came out. The conditions were improving, with Jake Dennis jumping into P3, behind the DS Penske duo. He quickly improves his time and moves into P1 with a 1:30.776.
It’s a back and forth for the DS Penske duo, as JEV took back the top spot. Reigning world champion, Pascal Wehrlein was following closely behind with a 1:29.932. However, Sebastian Buemi of Envision came in to sweep the second spot from him. With just two more minutes left, Wehrlein made a comeback and slipped into P1, with a 1:26,557. Nyck De Vries improved his times and was now in fourth, just 1.801s behind.
Final laps
The session’s closing minutes saw a flurry of improvements. Pascal Wehrlein briefly topped the times with 1:26.557, before Nick Cassidy and ultimately Jake Hughes secured the fastest time. Hughes’s 1:25.808 put Maserati on top, leading Cassidy by 0.157s with Wehrlein, Dennis, and Da Costa completing the top five. The DS Penske pair, despite their early dominance, finished ninth and thirteenth as the track evolved.
With qualifying approaching, these challenging conditions promise an unpredictable battle for pole position.
