Rome E-Prix: Vergne leads Wehrlein in Formula E practice

DS Techeetah driver Vergne opened his account in FP2 first, posting a 1m40.655s on his first timed run – still six tenths shy of Mortara’s 1m40.022s from the opening practice session. 

But the Frenchman was then displaced by Oliver Rowland – who had recovered from an FP1 scuffle with Vergne – at the top, with the Mahindra driver indulging in a number of excursions throughout the two sessions. 

Lucas di Grassi then picked Rowland off the top spot, shaving eight hundredths off the headline time, but came under attack from Andretti’s Jake Dennis – who went into P2 despite touching the wall on the exit of Turn 12 and was left to complete the lap with slightly damaged rear-left suspension. 

Mortara then hit back, stating his intent with a 1m39.580s – and his tenure at the top was extended by a lengthy yellow flag at Turn 7, where Rowland locked up and was left to perform an Austin Powers tribute act as he attempted to turn his car around. 

Nyck de Vries then chopped two tenths off Mortara’s time, setting a 1m39.368s to overhaul his fellow Mercedes-powered competitor. 

The session was then interrupted with just over 10 minutes remaining; Oliver Askew clipped the inside wall at the Turn 12 chicane and pulled over at the side of the road thereafter, and was immediately followed by Andre Lotterer’s carbon-copy wall contact – causing both damage to their front-right suspension. 

Askew limped back to the pits while Lotterer’s Porsche was tucked behind the nearby marshals’ post, allowing the session to resume with eight minutes left. 

Dennis shook off his earlier suspension issues to move to the top, pipping de Vries by a hundredth of a second, before Vergne then surged to the top with a 1m39.082s. 

Pascal Wehrlein crossed the line