Gunther quickest on final day of Valencia Formula E test
Maximilian Gunther set the fastest time of Formula E pre-season testing on a final day in Valencia in which the entire 24-car field was separated by less 0.8 seconds.
The BMW Andretti driver clocked a late 1m11.760s flying lap at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo to keep Sergio Sette Camara at bay by just 0.036s on an impressive day for Dragon Penske Autosport.
In the warmest conditions of the three-day test, the top nine drivers all broke under the 1m12s barrier as teams switched to faster qualifying lap simulation runs.
However, this led to no fewer than seven drivers having to serve a 15-minute penalty in the pits as the new track limits imposed as Turns 1, 6 and 10 were repeatedly broken.
Behind Sette Camara, one such driver to be cautioned, his teammate Nico Muller ran third fastest for Dragon, although he is yet to be confirmed at the team for the 2020-21 season.
Muller was just 0.050 off the pace in the 2019-20 car, with the American squad set to follow the lead of DS Techeetah and Nissan e.dams by introducing a new package for the Rome E-Prix in April.
For much of the single six-hour session reigning champion Antonio Felix da Costa had led the field with his 1m11.815s benchmark, but no late improvements meant he dropped back to fourth.
In fifth place was Jaguar Racing's Mitch Evans, the Kiwi having been da Costa's nearest title rival throughout the early part of last season before the campaigned resumed for six races in Berlin.
Behind Evans, another casualty of the 15-minute reprimand, Porsche racer Pascal Wehrlein headed Oliver Rowland and the second DS Techeetah of Jean-Eric Vergne.
A strong effort from NIO 333 pilot Oliver Turvey guided the experienced Briton to ninth ahead of an impressive run from Venturi Racing recruit Norman Nato, set for his rookie FE season.
Fellow rookie Jake Dennis was 11th for BMW Andretti, still only 0.287s adrift of the top.
Mercedes driver Stoffel Vandoorne, widely expected to replace Lewis Hamilton for this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix following the seven-time champion's positive COVID-19 test, ranked 18th.
His teammate Nyck de Vries ranked 21st as Audi driver Lucas di Grassi brought up the rear in 24th and last, but was only 0.761s away from Gunther.
Related video
Di Grassi wants to stay in Formula E after Audi exit
Motorsport.com survey: F1 fans want sustainability and diversity
Keep or trade? What’s Verstappen and Perez’s perfect F1 weekend?
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have a challenge on their hands – to pick their perfect race.
Skip Barber: The first step on your racing journey
Have you ever wanted to experience the speed and adrenaline rush of real auto racing for yourself? Or, could you be responsible for launching the “next big thing” in racing? Now is the perfect time to find out.
Ben Sulayem dismisses F1 talk of "bad relationship" with FOM
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has dismissed talk of underlying problems between himself and Formula 1’s commercial rights holders.
Record F1 crowd prompts Australian GP seating rethink
All grandstands at Albert Park have been redesigned to hold more people following the record Australian Grand Prix crowd earlier this year.
The trait Vandoorne rediscovered to claim Formula E's era-ending title
After Nyck de Vries was crowned Formula E champion in 2021, his Mercedes teammate Stoffel Vandoorne stepped forward this season as the Gen2 era and his team bowed out. As he did on the way to the GP2 crown in 2015, the Belgian achieved a peerless level of consistency and was only outside the points once, with his sole win in Monaco sufficient to head off a chasing pack headed by Mitch Evans
Why Bird can bounce back after a tough 2021-22 Formula E season
With his winning streak coming to an end this season, the 2021-22 Formula E season was tumultuous for Sam Bird, failing to gather momentum as Jaguar generally struggled. But the long-term favourite looks forward to bouncing back next season as the championship enters its new era
What Formula E needs next after saying goodbye to Gen2
The 2021-2022 Formula E season finale brought the curtain down on the Gen2 era of the all-electric world championship. It elevated FE to new heights, fulfilling its intended directive. While it is a good launching pad for the impending Gen3 cycle, there are certain aspects the series must tackle for the new era to have the same impact as its predecessor
The traits behind Vandoorne's triumphant Formula E title charge
The odds were heavily stacked in Stoffel Vandoorne’s favour to capture the Formula E crown at the Seoul finale, but chief rival Mitch Evans applied maximum pressure with victory in the first race. It meant Vandoorne had to show his resolve to reproduce the key qualities he held all season to complete his march to the title
Can anyone beat Stoffel Vandoorne to the Formula E title?
Stoffel Vandoorne is on the brink of the Formula E title with a commanding lead ahead of the Seoul finale, but both rivals and unknowns still stand in his way. Here’s a run through of what Vandoorne must overcome to clinch the championship and how his competition will look to pull off the biggest of shocks.
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 contenders were upstaged in London
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 team boss adapting to a FE 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 Motorsport.com, it's a challenge he's revelling in