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Renault e.dams driver Sebastien Buemi fastest in Monaco practice

Sebastien Buemi edged out Sam Bird to top both practice sessions as Formula E returned to Monaco

The Renault e.dams driver led the way in FP1 with a 52.795s, and then improved marginally on that effort with a 52.729s in FP2.

That was a full second faster than the practice benchmark when Formula E first visited the principality in its inaugural 2014/15 season.

Buemi and team-mate Nico Prost were the only leading drivers to complete a qualifying simulation in first practice.

When Bird turned his DS Virgin Racing car up to 200kW in FP2, he went quickest with a time 0.002s slower than Buemi's FP1 best.

That looked like it would let Bird top the second session, but Buemi improved with a late flying lap to vault to top spot by 0.068s.

Lucas di Grassi was the only other driver to dip below the 53-second mark on a 52.978s, although fourth-fastest Jean-Eric Vergne came extremely close with a 53.001s.

Less than three tenths of a second covered di Grassi in fourth and Prost, who hit the wall with his front-right wheel through the Antony Noghes corner, in ninth.

Jose Maria Lopez (cleared to continue participating after recovery from an injury), Loic Duval, Daniel Abt and Nelson Piquet Jr filled the positions between those two, with Stephane Sarrazin completing the top 10 for Venturi.

'SILLY' TURVEY/ROSENQVIST CRASH ENDS FP1 EARLY

The opening session was ended slightly early by a bizarre accident involving Oliver Turvey and Felix Rosenqvist.

Rosenqvist rear-ended Turvey heading into the Turn 3 hairpin, which reconnects the Formula E track with the Formula 1 layout via the exit of the chicane.

With double yellow flags being waved for the barely-moving Buemi on the inside, Turvey then braked heavily to avoid passing the Renault under the caution.

Rosenqvist was not expecting this, and ploughed into the back of the NextEV car.

"You have to be prepared to stop," Turvey said. "I didn't even see him [Rosenqvist]. It was a silly accident."

Roseqnvist explained: "I braked earlier than on my lap before.

"I expected Oliver to pass Buemi but he was afraid to get a penalty and panic braked.

"It was a misunderstanding, this is the problem when people are slowing down."

Both took part in FP2 and finished next to each other on the timing screens, with Rosenqvist 16th and Turvey 17th.

FREE PRACTICE 1:

Pos Driver Team Car Time
1 Sebastien Buemi e.dams Renault 52.795s
2 Nicolas Prost e.dams Renault 53.237s
3 Stephane Sarrazin Venturi Venturi 53.896s
4 Felix Rosenqvist Mahindra Mahindra 53.985s
5 Jose Maria Lopez Virgin DS Virgin 54.113s
6 Jean-Eric Vergne Techeetah Renault 54.127s
7 Sam Bird Virgin DS Virgin 54.152s
8 Esteban Gutierrez Techeetah Renault 54.171s
9 Nelson Piquet Jr. NextEV NEXTEV TCR 54.229s
10 Lucas di Grassi Abt ABT Schaeffler 54.301s
11 Mitch Evans Jaguar Jaguar 54.534s
12 Oliver Turvey NextEV NEXTEV TCR 54.547s
13 Loic Duval Dragon Penske 54.589s
14 Jerome d'Ambrosio Dragon Penske 54.606s
15 Nick Heidfeld Mahindra Mahindra 54.630s
16 Maro Engel Venturi Venturi 54.870s
17 Daniel Abt Abt ABT Schaeffler 54.882s
18 Antonio Felix da Costa Andretti Andretti 54.899s
19 Robin Frijns Andretti Andretti 54.910s
20 Adam Carroll Jaguar Jaguar 55.238s

FREE PRACTICE 2:

Pos Driver Team Car Time
1 Sebastien Buemi e.dams Renault 52.729s
2 Sam Bird Virgin DS Virgin 52.797s
3 Lucas di Grassi Abt ABT Schaeffler 52.978s
4 Jean-Eric Vergne Techeetah Renault 53.001s
5 Jose Maria Lopez Virgin DS Virgin 53.188s
6 Loic Duval Dragon Penske 53.196s
7 Daniel Abt Abt ABT Schaeffler 53.216s
8 Nelson Piquet Jr. NextEV NEXTEV TCR 53.217s
9 Nicolas Prost e.dams Renault 53.270s
10 Stephane Sarrazin Venturi Venturi 53.342s
11 Esteban Gutierrez Techeetah Renault 53.344s
12 Antonio Felix da Costa Andretti Andretti 53.397s
13 Jerome d'Ambrosio Dragon Penske 53.461s
14 Robin Frijns Andretti Andretti 53.581s
15 Mitch Evans Jaguar Jaguar 53.591s
16 Felix Rosenqvist Mahindra Mahindra 53.660s
17 Oliver Turvey NextEV NEXTEV TCR 53.675s
18 Nick Heidfeld Mahindra Mahindra 53.760s
19 Maro Engel Venturi Venturi 53.834s
20 Adam Carroll Jaguar Jaguar 53.971s

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