Stoffel Vandoorne and Jake Dennis did not physically stand back-to-back in the Diriyah paddock to take 10 paces, turn and fire. Yet, their duel for pole ahead of Formula E’s 2021-22 season opener was met with the same anticipation, trepidation and tension as a stand-off in a Western film – as 22 drivers were whittled down to the final two in the qualifying battle.
To continue the Wild West shoot-out metaphor, Vandoorne proved to be the driver with the itchiest trigger finger and claimed pole – while Dennis’s gun jammed at the final moment, leaving the Brit to recoil in presumed agony as Vandoorne blew the smoke away from his revolver’s barrel.
Formula E’s new qualifying system, when explained either by word of mouth or in carefully considered prose, sounds complex. There’s a multitude of permutations at play, especially since the eventual pole winner has an impact on where those eliminated in the group stages will start the race. But when played out on-screen, it’s…
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