Mexico City E-Prix 2026 Qualifying: Sebastien Buemi wins pole, Taylor Barnard joins him on the front row

Former Formula E champion Sebastien Buemi won pole at the Mexico City E-Prix on Saturday. The Envision Racing driver went on to win the Duels final, while close competitor Taylor Barnard’s time was deleted due to track limits at Turn 16. The two will now lead the front row on the grid for the much-anticipated final at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit. Buemi’s pole strengthens his chances of winning the Mexico race, as he already has four podiums at the venue.After topping FP1, Andretti’s Jake Dennis topped the timing screens in Group A. He was joined by Porsche’s Nico Muller, DS Penske’s Taylor Barnard and Mahindra Racing’s Edoardo Mortara to take part in the Duels.Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi topped the timing screens in Group B. He was followed by Cupra Kiro’s Dan Ticktum, Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans and Nissan’s Oliver Rowland as the four headed to the Duels. Wehrlein, who topped FP2, missed out on the Duels, losing his chance to race from the front row in the final.During the Duels, Mortara, Barnard, Evans and Buemi reached the semi-finals, while Dennis lost out on his chances of securing a front-row start on the grid for the final.Out of the four, Buemi, 37, and Barnard, 21, reached the final to stake their claim for pole position. Barnard had an equal opportunity of claiming pole, but his time was deleted due to track limits at Turn 16, turning it into a massive disappointment for the DS Penske driver. Buemi eventually went on to win pole at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit.Taylor didn’t win pole, but starting from the front row, he still has a good chance of registering his first win at the Mexico City E-Prix.Sebastien Buemi already has four podiums at the Mexico City E-Prix, but he has never won a final. This might be his first chance to lift the winner’s trophy at the venue this season. This is the Swiss driver’s 17th pole position in his Formula E career. However, this is his first pole after a long gap, having last secured pole in Berlin in 2023. Reacting to his pole win, Buemi said after qualifying that he was “very proud and very happy”.Among the Formula E fans, Hollywood legend Idris Elba was also in attendance at the race. He sat in the Cupra Kiro garage and watched the qualifying session with utmost attention.As per the three-year trend at the Mexico City E-Prix, the race winner has gone on to win the Formula E title. This is enough to raise anticipation ahead of the final.Also read: Mexico City E-Prix 2026 practice: Former winners Jake Dennis and Pascal Wehrlein shine in FP1 and FP2