The opening practice session for the Cape Town e-Prix was quite an exciting experience, showcasing Formula E to South Africans and the world.
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At the end of the 30-minute session, it was Maserati's Edoardo Mortara who topped the times with 1:09.700. He was followed across the line by Jaguar's Sam Bird and Nissan driver Sacha Fenestraz. Disappointingly, South African Kelvin van der Linde came to a halt out on track after he lost drive in his ABT Cupra.
He posted the 20th quickest time in the session.
Antonio Felix da Costa was fourth for Porsche, while his teammate, Pascal Wehrlein, could only manage 11th. Wehrlein currently leads the 2023 championship and would need to use Saturday's final practice session well to have a say in the race's outcome.
?? @edomortara goes fastest in FP1!Who do you think will qualify on Pole tomorrow for the #CapeTownEPrix? pic.twitter.com/5jwfUgfpcY
— ABB FIA Formula E World Championship (@FIAFormulaE) February 24, 2023
Plenty of action
The opening practice session was not without drama. Soon after the action got under way, Lucas di Grassi pulled his Mahindra to the side. Barely anyone noticed, and it was only when Van der Linde pulled to the side that Di Grassi's name came up as one of the session's retirees.
But before Van der Linde's session ended, Sebastien Buemi had a massive shunt. The Envision driver mistimed his entry into a turn, sending his car into the barriers - sideways. It was an enormous crash, but he was fortunate to have walked away from what could have been a bad outing on track.
The race weekend resumes on Saturday with Second Practice (09:00), Qualifying (11:40), and the Race at 16:00.
Disclaimer: News24 is a media partner of the 2023 Cape Town E-Prix