Nico Mueller wins first Formula E pole at Miami E-Prix, edging rookie Felipe Drugovich in duels

Mueller tops qualifying at Miami International Autodrome as duels format reshapes the front of the grid

Nico Mueller secured the first Formula E pole position of his career on Saturday, January 31, 2026, by winning the final head-to-head “Duels” run-off in qualifying for the Miami E-Prix. The Swiss driver delivered his decisive lap at the Miami International Autodrome, the Hard Rock Stadium-based venue hosting the championship’s return to South Florida.

Qualifying placed Mueller on pole after he beat Felipe Drugovich in the final duel. The margin was 0.129 seconds, setting up a front row pairing that combined Mueller’s experience with the early headline performance of Drugovich, who reached the Duels stage for the first time in his Formula E career.

How the pole was won: advancing from fourth, then winning three duels

Mueller’s route to the front began in Group A, where he progressed in fourth place behind Norman Nato, Nick Cassidy and Nyck de Vries. That result was enough to move into the knockout phase, where single-lap matchups determine the top positions. In the quarterfinal, Mueller advanced after Nato ran deep at Turn 13. He then eliminated de Vries in the semifinal to reach the pole decider.

Drugovich also qualified fourth in his group, finishing behind Taylor Barnard, Antonio Felix da Costa and Joel Eriksson before turning his session into a breakthrough. He edged Barnard by 0.001 seconds in the first duel, then produced the quickest duel lap of the event in the semifinal—55.393 seconds—to defeat da Costa and set up the final against Mueller.

Starting order: top eight set, with penalties reshaping the midfield

Behind the front row, da Costa will start third and de Vries fourth. Barnard qualified fifth, followed by Eriksson in sixth, Cassidy seventh and Nato eighth. Mitch Evans will start ninth, narrowly missing the Duels cut in his group session.

• 1. Nico Mueller
• 2. Felipe Drugovich
• 3. Antonio Felix da Costa
• 4. Nyck de Vries
• 5. Taylor Barnard
• 6. Joel Eriksson
• 7. Nick Cassidy
• 8. Norman Nato

The grid will also reflect post-session sanctions. Sebastien Buemi, initially classified 15th, is scheduled to start at the back after receiving two separate penalties during the group phase: a five-place drop for causing a collision with Edoardo Mortara at Turn 13, and a three-place penalty for impeding Mortara’s teammate, de Vries.

The 39-lap Miami E-Prix is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The pole result underlines how Formula E’s group-and-duels qualifying can elevate drivers who make the cut in fourth and then maximize one-lap execution under direct knockout pressure, turning a marginal group-stage advance into the best grid position.