Guenther: One-lap pace let us down in Diriyah FE
Maximilian Guenther believes he and BMW Andretti were let down by a lack of one-lap pace in Formula E's season-opening races in Riyadh last weekend


While Mercedes, Audi and Porsche all raced at the front of the pack in the Diriyah E-Prix double-header, BMW had a subdued weekend in Saudi Arabia, with neither Guenther nor rookie team-mate Jake Dennis scoring a point.
Guenther and Dennis qualified a mediocre ninth and 14th respectively for the first of the two races, but BMW's one-lap pace deficit was highlighted further on Saturday when Guenther could only set the 12th fastest time in qualifying - despite having the advantage of taking part in Group 4 and a reduced field amid the absence of four Mercedes-powered cars and the Porsche of Andre Lotterer.
Guenther said he could be satisfied with the speed BMW showed in long runs, but believes qualifying was an area of weakness for the German manufacturer in Riyadh.
PLUS: How Andretti is planning for life after BMW
"Obviously we are not strong in one-lap pace, this is very clear," Guenther told Autosport. "We need to understand this for the next races.
"Qualifying is always key in any racing series, especially here when you race on street circuits. Obviously that's the most important [thing] and that's what you need to focus on in the championship.
"In terms of race pace I think it's a bit better. Not saying we are the strongest but it's definitely better and more competitive. Both Friday and Saturday we were able to fight for points and that's the situation at the moment."

In the opening race Guenther was running inside the points in sixth when he clipped the barriers at the exit of Turn 2 on cold tyres after a safety car period, retiring immediately from the race.
Another DNF followed on Saturday when battling with the Nissan of Oliver Rowland, as he outbraked himself into Turn 18 and collected the NIO 333 of Tom Blomqvist that had been running just ahead of him.
The German driver will carry a five-place grid penalty at the next round in Rome in April after being found guilty of causing a collision by the race stewards.
Asked to explain the incident from his point of view, Guenther said: "I was running in I think P10, P11, fighting for points.
"I was in standard mode, I had used both my attack modes already. Ollie Rowland behind me was in his attack mode. I tried to cover him in Turn 18, [but I] drove off on the inside, braking in the dust.
"I don't know exactly at the moment what happened, if there was any contact or not [between me and Rowland]. Finally when I touched my brakes I immediately locked the fronts and was a passenger at this point, had contact with the car in front and it was the race for me.
"Obviously disappointing to not score any points but that's racing sometimes you need to accept this and move forward."

Lynn "100% fine" after horror Diriyah FE crash
Saudi Arabia ready to "give to the motorsport world" after FE success

Latest news
Bird out for Seoul Formula E finale, Nato to cover at Jaguar
Jaguar reserve Norman Nato will deputise for Sam Bird at the Seoul Formula E double-header, as the Briton is unable to complete in the season finale with a broken hand.
How Formula E's most underrated driver is taming his Dragon
It might not look like the most glittering of Formula E campaigns, but Dragon Penske’s youngster has caught the eye of those who count despite his future remaining unclear. Regardless of the distortion, Sergio Sette Camara has a clear vision of what he’s focused on and how to get there
Vandoorne "can't take it easy" in Seoul despite 36-point Formula E title lead
Stoffel Vandoorne can't "turn up and take it easy" at Formula E's Seoul finale, despite his 36-point cushion over second-placed Mitch Evans in the drivers' standings.
How Formula E's title fight gave way to Dennis and Di Grassi in the dockyards
The penultimate stop on Formula E's world tour took in London's ExCeL, where the championship contenders were upstaged by two first-time winners in 2022. Andretti’s Jake Dennis kept the home fires burning in the first race as Venturi’s Lucas di Grassi claimed the second, but two consistent finishes mean its advantage Stoffel Vandoorne heading to the Seoul finale
How Formula E's most underrated driver is taming his Dragon
It might not look like the most glittering of Formula E campaigns, but Dragon Penske’s youngster has caught the eye of those who count despite his future remaining unclear. Regardless of the distortion, Sergio Sette Camara has a clear vision of what he’s focused on and how to get there
How Formula E's title fight gave way to Dennis and Di Grassi in the dockyards
The penultimate stop on Formula E's world tour took in London's ExCeL, where the championship contenders were upstaged by two first-time winners in 2022. Andretti’s Jake Dennis kept the home fires burning in the first race as Venturi’s Lucas di Grassi claimed the second, but two consistent finishes mean its advantage Stoffel Vandoorne heading to the Seoul finale
The ex-F1 racer turned Venturi team boss adapting to a Formula E title fight
For the second year in a row, the Venturi team is in the thick of the fight for Formula E title glory with Edoardo Mortara. That's despite a change to a more meritocratic qualifying system, which was expected to give the works Mercedes team an edge, and ex-Formula 1 racer Jerome d'Ambrosio being new in the team principal hot seat. As he tells Autosport, it's a challenge he's revelling in
Why Sims is quitting Formula E to become the master of his own destiny
Alexander Sims’ call to give up a pukka Formula E spot after four seasons in the series may have surprised some, but after laying out his reasoning and what he hopes comes next, very few onlookers can argue against his plan
How Formula E's Big Apple crunch led to Cassidy joy and heartache
Nick Cassidy hadn't enjoyed too many joyful moments in the 2021-22 Formula E campaign, but the Envision Virgin driver was the class of the field in New York - even after a sudden downpour had caused him and several others to shunt heavily out of the first race. Red flags saved his bacon on that occasion, but a 30-place penalty that cost him pole for race two due to a new battery opened the door for Antonio Felix da Costa
Mortara turns up the heat on Formula E title rivals in Marrakech scorcher
Formula E’s unplanned return to Marrakech provided teams with a fresh challenge in old but familiar surroundings, as Edoardo Mortara kept his cool in melting conditions to triumph and retake the championship lead
How Formula E's double-duty drivers influenced their Le Mans teams' fortunes
Eight Formula E drivers made the 7,000-mile sprint from the streets of Jakarta to the fabled Circuit de la Sarthe and every one had a story to share at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. Despite a range of triumphs and disappointments, each driver doubling up on the day job played a key role in their teams' fortunes
How Evans kept cool in Jakarta heat to renew his Formula E title push
Jean-Eric Vergne had comfortably taken a landmark pole for Formula E's first visit to Indonesia and looked set to win his first race of a highly consistent campaign. But the DS Techeetah driver couldn't answer a late attack from Jaguar's Mitch Evans, who profited from the Frenchman's change in battery management tactics to seize a third win of the campaign