Dennis takes dramatic Rome pole

Jake Dennis has scored pole position for Avalanche Andretti in a critical Final to close the title chase to title leader Nick Cassidy.

After taking care of Maximilian Gunther in the Quarterfinal and Norman Nato in the Semifinal, Dennis’ win over Cassidy saw him take three crucial points to narrow a five-point gap to just two points ahead of Sunday’s race at the penultimate round of the 2023 Championship.

“Those three points are crucial – I really needed that against Nick today,” Dennis said after the session.

“Obviously, Nick, Mitch [Evans] and myself were there, in top three – it was super tight between all of us,” said Dennis, who finished fourth in yesterday’s race after starting seventh.

Dennis had taken the Championship lead off Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein at the previous event in late June in Portland, USA, but that was lost in Saturday’s race in Rome after Jaguar TCS Racing’s Evans won from pole with Cassidy second.

“What a turnaround after yesterday; we really bought the game to Jag today,” said Dennis. “The definitely had the advantage after yesterday, and we changed the car overnight, tried something and it seems to have worked, so, bring on the race.”

“If Nick wins, it’s no good – I need to win the race today. I’m feeling confident I can do that; the car’s feeling strong and we’re ready to make amends after yesterday’s mistake.”

It was a massive effort across the grid to make qualifying after the Race 1 crash, triggered by the Jaguar of Sam Bird, reduced the 22-car field to only 14, with crews undertaking massive repair work overnight.

Qualifying Group A

The first session saw Race 1 winner Mitch Evans, championship leader Nick Cassidy, Jean-Eric Vergne, Felix da Costa, as well as Bird, Stoffel Vandoorne, Sacha Fenestraz, Lucas Di Grassi, Dan Ticktum, Sergio Sette Camara and Robin Frijns.

With all competitors Running the 300kWh setting, Di Grassi crossed first with a 1:40.203 as the heat again hampered drivers and machinery.

That time was beaten by Vergne and Sette Camara, before Bird was the first in the 1:39s (1:39.718) then joined by Evans (1:39.218).

Cassidy then used his Jaguar powertrain to set a 1:38.829 in the Envision Racing #37 entry.

That was the state of play after the first flyers, with Vandoorne in P4 ahead of Ticktum, Da Costa, Frijns, Sette Camara, Bird, Di Grassi – who’d had technical issues in Sunday morning practice – and Fenestraz, who remained in the pits with battery issues.

With a little more than two minutes remaining, Ticktum tagged the wall out of Turn 3 as the field headed onto the circuit for the final run, the track much grippier then yesterday.

As the clock hit 30 seconds, Cassidy set the fastest first sector as Vergne – who’d moved into second ahead of Evans – pursued.

Cassidy crossed to improve to a 1:38.547, before Bird stole the show with a 1:38.434 to finish the session fastest ahead of Cassidy, Ticktum and Evans the fourth and final to make the next session.

Da Costa was the best of the rest in fifth, from Vergne, Di Grassi, Sette Camara, Vandoorne, Frijns and the troubled Fenestraz – who’d led yesterday’s race and was hampered in this session with technical woes.

Qualifying Group B

Group B saw Dennis, Wehrlein, Gunther, Sebastien Buemi, Jake Hughes, Rene Rast, Nato, Andre Lotterer, Edoardo Mortara, Nico Muller and Roberto Merhi.

The 12-minute session saw Hughes in the #5 Neom McLaren set the first flyer, a 1:39.038 that was immediately bettered by Buemi with a 1:38.562.

Hughes remained second from Gunther (1:39.439) and Nato before Dennis went to the top with a 1:38.376 – faster than Bird’s time that topped the Group A session.

Hughes then went third-fastest as he attempted two consecutive push laps, his 1:38.677 behind Dennis and Buemi in first and second.

Wehrlein then went P4 for Porsche with a 1:38.842, with Rast the first at risk as the clock recorded five minutes to go.

Behind Rast was Lotterer in sixth, then Muller, Mortara, Nato, Gunther and Merhi.

The field regrouped in pit lane until the final push as the clock counted down three minutes remaining.

Dennis, Buemi, Hughes and Wehrlein were the top four going into the last run.

Buemi was first to strike with his fastest lap, a 1:38.471, keeping him in second as Hughes took the escape road at Turn 7.

Rast was momentarily in the four, before Nato and set a 1:38.538 to go third and Gunther fourth (1:38.575) with Hughes out in sixth behind Mortara, ahead of Rast and Wehrlein missing the cut in eight, a serious blow to his 2023 title chances.

“A very disappointing result,” said Porsche boss Florian Modlinger. “We need to check why … we need to go full attack [in the race].”

Ninth was Lotterer from Muller and Merhi – but there was doubt as to whether Gunther lifted for the yellow flag out for the Hughes spin.

Gunther and Muller were placed under investigation regarding the yellow flag, with Rast and Dennis were also under investigation for impeding other drivers.

Quarterfinal 1

Dan Ticktum made it his fifth Duel of the season – his first in six races – as the NIO 333 driver faced Cassidy.

Ticktum led the pair in the #33, the Brit putting down 0.03 on Cassidy straight up, before Cassidy took a tenth from Ticktum and never looked back, 0.442 by the middle sector to post a 1:37.536 to Ticktum’s 1:38.720.

Next was a replay of yesterday’s Final, but with more at play as team orders were enforced given the need for one of the Jaguar’s to make it through – Evans third in the standings the only one in championship contention.

Evans was ahead on track, but Bird was only 0.026 behind at the first timing post, Evans falling 0.036 behind before dropping 0.141 in arrears before Bird’s lead was clawed back in the final sector for a 1:37.946 – Bird deliberately backing off to a 1:38.445 to allow Evans through.

Next was Nato in the Nissan leading Buemi, with Nato ahead by 0.047 early on before quickly recovering to lead by 0.145s. The comeback was short-lived for the Swiss driver, Buemi understeering into the wall at Turn 7 to hand the Duel to Nato, who posted 1:38.613.

The question of damage for Buemi was also an issue ahead of the race, especially given the parts already used up in the crash with Bird in Saturday’s race.

Gunther then took on Jake Dennis in the last quarterfinal, Dennis leading by just 0.009 at the first sector before Gunther ascended as Dennis made up ground a Turns 3 and 4, taking the advantage to 0.223 as they headed into the middle sector – Dennis prevailed with a 1:38.179 to Gunther’s  1:38.665 in the Maserati.

Semi-final 1

Evans and Cassidy faced off first, the Saturday pole-sitter and race winner up against the points leader.

Cassidy’s 1:37.536 time to get through to the semi-final was significantly faster than the 1:37.946 of Evans – the two rumoured to be paired up at Jaguar in 2024 with Cassidy tipped to replace Bird.

It was the first time Evans and Cassidy, both New Zealanders, had met in a semi-final, and it was the Jaguar driver ahead by 0.027 at the first split, before Evans fell to 0.033 behind – nothing in it – with a big slide into Turn 7 for Cassidy who was a significant 0.384s up on Evans.

The Kiwi closed the gap to 0.173 as it went down to the wire – Cassidy prevailing by 1:38.056 to eliminate Evans, who posted a 1:38.322.

Nato then took on Dennis in Semi-final 2, Nato ahead on track but behind on the clock after an initial 0.003 lead – Dennis putting 0.030 on Nato before stretching that to 0.165 by the middle sector to record a 1:38.087 to beat Nato’s 1:38.203.

Final

That set up a Cassidy versus Dennis Final – first and second in the Championship and separated by only five points, with three points up for grabs for pole.

Dennis – running a unique Rome livery helmet – was the first onto the circuit, chasing Cassidy on the points table.

Track temperature was 52 degrees, with 34 degrees air temperature to battle with as the final began.

Dennis slid around in the first sector, but he was 0.019 up on Cassidy, stretching that to 0.44, then 0.73 before the Kiwi fell 0.149 back. Cassidy couldn’t mount a challenge as it became 0.280, a slight recover not enough as Dennis stormed to a 1:37.986 – Evans short by the barest of margins with a 1:38.057.

As well as pole, the result narrowed Cassidy’s lead to Dennis at the top of table to two points – 171 to 169.

The Round 14 race takes place at 15:03 local time/23:03 AEST.