Diriyah E-Prix: Ticktum tops Friday practice from Buemi

Dan Ticktum topped the second Diriyah E-Prix free practice session with a 1m10.099s, seeing off a late challenge from 2015-16 Formula E champion Sebastien Buemi.

Dan Ticktum, NIO 333

Ticktum's strong first and final sectors carried him to the top of the timesheets, initially with half a second over Jaguar's Mitch Evans.

Although Buemi and Stoffel Vandoorne filled that bracket by the close of the session, Ticktum's time handed him an ultimately unassailable advantage.

Jake Dennis was top after the opening 10 minutes of the session with a 1m11.376s, deposing last year's winner Edoardo Mortara from the top after an early shuffle of times, but Sebastien Buemi then found a tenth over the Mexico winner.

The NIO 333 pair then swept to the top on 350kW power laps; Sergio Sette Camara did a 1m11.191s, before Dan Ticktum broke the 71s barrier with a 1m10.924s to get the times closer to Thursday's evening running.

Rene Rast then jumped the pair, briefly standing atop the timing boards before Dennis' riposte of 1m10.777s returned the Andretti driver to the top - while only running at 300kW.

Next, Buemi hit the head of the timesheets with a 1m10.742s on full power, but Ticktum returned to the headlines with the first lap faster than Thursday's efforts - a 1m10.386s the reward for his efforts.

The Briton then took a hacksaw to his own benchmark and posted a 1m10.099s, throwing down the gauntlet for the other drivers to pick up as the session entered its final stages.

Sebastien Buemi, Envision Racing

Sebastien Buemi, Envision Racing

Photo by: Andreas Beil

Vandoorne was close to topping Ticktum after beating the Londoner in the opening pair of sectors, but continual struggles to get the drive through the final pair of corners left him four tenths adrift at the close of the lap.

The same was true of Buemi, but his efforts to displace Ticktum were once again beaten by the 2018 Macau Grand Prix winner's fast final sector. The Swiss ultimately had to be content with second, 0.203s shy of Ticktum, but ahead of Evans by 0.145s.

Evans bumped Vandoorne out of third by the close of the session, ahead of Sam Bird.

Bird had headed Thursday afternoon’s opening free practice session from Jean-Eric Vergne, as Jaguar had shown improved pace over Mexico.

The Briton, who has won the Diriyah E-Prix twice in his Formula E career, set the benchmark at the end of the first day with a 1m10.402s, a scant 0.084 clear of Vergne.

Pascal Wehrlein and Sette Camara were sixth and seventh, clear of Rast, while Jakes Dennis and Hughes completed the top 10 with an identical 1m10.777s.

The top 20 cars all set their best times within a second, with the two Abts falling shy of that boundary - with Robin Frijns' replacement Kelvin van der Linde 1.594s off the pace.

His team-mate Nico Muller hit the Turn 16 exit wall, breaking the left-rear of his Mahindra-powered Abt car to bring an end to his session after just 10 minutes of running.

Diriyah E-Prix FP2 result

shares
comments

Maserati MSG not yet "consistently fast" with Gen3 FE car – Mortara

How Formula E's new emergency braking system will work

How Cassidy earned 'Big Cat' bragging rights in tight Monaco duel

How Cassidy earned 'Big Cat' bragging rights in tight Monaco duel

Plus
Plus
Formula E
Monaco ePrix
Stefan Mackley

How Cassidy earned 'Big Cat' bragging rights in tight Monaco duel How Cassidy earned 'Big Cat' bragging rights in tight Monaco duel

How Kiwis stormed Berlin to put Porsche under pressure

How Kiwis stormed Berlin to put Porsche under pressure

Plus
Plus
Formula E
Berlin ePrix
Stefan Mackley

How Kiwis stormed Berlin to put Porsche under pressure How Kiwis stormed Berlin to put Porsche under pressure

How Evans pounced for Jaguar in a Sao Paulo slipstreaming chess match

How Evans pounced for Jaguar in a Sao Paulo slipstreaming chess match

Plus
Plus
Formula E
Sao Paulo ePrix
Stefan Mackley

How Evans pounced for Jaguar in a Sao Paulo slipstreaming chess match How Evans pounced for Jaguar in a Sao Paulo slipstreaming chess match

The fumble that inadvertently aided da Costa in Formula E's Cape Town classic

The fumble that inadvertently aided da Costa in Formula E's Cape Town classic

Plus
Plus
Formula E
Cape Town ePrix
Jake Boxall-Legge

The fumble that inadvertently aided da Costa in Formula E's Cape Town classic The fumble that inadvertently aided da Costa in Formula E's Cape Town classic

How Vergne kept his cool to triumph in spicy Indian Formula E encounter

How Vergne kept his cool to triumph in spicy Indian Formula E encounter

Plus
Plus
Formula E
Hyderabad ePrix
Jake Boxall-Legge

How Vergne kept his cool to triumph in spicy Indian Formula E encounter How Vergne kept his cool to triumph in spicy Indian Formula E encounter

Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence

Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence

Plus
Plus
Formula E
Hyderabad ePrix
Rachit Thukral

Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence

The key factors behind Porsche's strong start to Formula E's new era

The key factors behind Porsche's strong start to Formula E's new era

Plus
Plus
Formula E
Jake Boxall-Legge

The key factors behind Porsche's strong start to Formula E's new era The key factors behind Porsche's strong start to Formula E's new era

How Wehrlein's Diriyah double reveals Formula E's form book shake-up

How Wehrlein's Diriyah double reveals Formula E's form book shake-up

Plus
Plus
Formula E
Diriyah ePrix II
Jake Boxall-Legge

How Wehrlein's Diriyah double reveals Formula E's form book shake-up How Wehrlein's Diriyah double reveals Formula E's form book shake-up

Subscribe