Until a rainy Saturday afternoon, Shanghai had been synonymous with victory – and even a 1-2 finish – for DS Penske, as both DS E-Tense FE25s, led by Maximilian Guenther, had triumphed in the first of the two races in 2025. But seasons come and go, and no two are alike; the Franco-American team was less fortunate in this opening round of the 2026 season. There was, however, one similarity when it came to the weather: threatening storms, once again forcing the organisers to alter the schedule for race day.
The Friday afternoon session took place in dry conditions, however, with the drivers working on different set-ups in preparation for a potentially wet race. “It’s always better to start at the front, but qualifying will be particularly important on Sunday, during the race with no mandatory pitstop for refuelling,” explains Guenther, who secured pole position at the Chinese venue in 2025. “On the other hand, if it’s wet, we’ll need to qualify as far up the grid as possible to stand a chance of scoring big points.”
