Nissan Formula E Team’s Reserve and Simulator Driver, Sergio Sette Camara will be making his first appearance for the team at the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Berlin E-Prix on 12th-13th July.
He will be filling in for Norman Nato, who will be absent due to his World Endurance Championship commitments.
Sette Camara has 66 Formula E races to his name, since he made his debut in 2020. The 27 year old joined Nisan ahead of Season 11, and has been working in the team’s simulator and development car throughout the season so far.
The race weekend will mark Sette Camara’s first official outing for the squad in the Nissan e-4ORCE 05. He will be looking to help the team continue its excellent form so far this season.
It’s a shame Norman can’t be with us in Berlin, but we’re delighted to have Sérgio stepping in. Sérgio’s extensive experience in Formula E and his time with the team this season make him the best-placed driver to step in and take on this challenge. Formula E is a unique series and, as we’ve seen in the championship in recent seasons, it can be difficult for drivers to come in and immediately be on the pace due to the specificities of the cars, tires and energy management. However, we are confident we have the best man for the job and look forward to seeing what he can do on track in Berlin. Tommasso Volpe, Managing Director & Team Principal.
I’m excited to race for the Nissan Formula E Team in Berlin. It’s a good opportunity for me to step into one of the leading cars in the championship, something I haven’t experienced before in this series, and I feel ready to give my all. Even in my role as reserve driver, it’s been a pleasure to be part of a team with such a strong, winning mentality. The environment at Nissan is one that pushes you to grow, and just being around it is motivating. Being back on the grid is special, but doing it with Nissan does make it more meaningful. In regards to the race itself, there are a number of firsts I’ll have to face in Berlin. The pit-boost and the all-wheel-drive system introduced for GEN3 EVO car are a couple of them, as well as the new softer tire spec, but I’ll do plenty of laps on the simulator and try to arrive as prepared as I possibly can. I’m also really keen to team up with Oli, he’s a driver I’ve always admired for his speed and he’s proven that so far this year with his incredible performances. It’s a great chance for me to learn from him, we get on well and I’m confident we will work together strongly in Berlin. Sergio Sette Camara on the news.
TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein was the fastest person on track in the third and final free practice for the 2024 Sun Minimeal Berlin E-Prix.
Just behind Wehrlein was Round 9 winner, Nick Cassidy of Jaguar TCS Racing. DS PENSKE’s Stoffel Vandoorne finished in third.
ABT’s Lucas di Grassi continued his quick pace that he showed topping the session early on. Ten minutes into the session, rookie Paul Aron was quickest.
There was an unusual moment between Antonio Felix da Costa and Sergio Sette Camara during the third practice where the two drivers made minor contact.
Drivers were pushing their cars to the limit in the final practice session of the weekend, with the likes of Jean-Eric Vergne experiencing some snaps of oversteer and understeer on one of his laps.
Qualifying-
Andretti’s Jake Dennis achieved his first Julius Baer Pole Position since Rome last season. It was a huge turnaround for Jake Dennis, as he managed to secure his first pole of the season having voiced his concerns over the Andretti’s qualifying pace.
It was the first time that the Semi-Finals have been two pairs of teammates in the three years of the duels format – Jaguar versus Jaguar and Andretti versus Andretti.
The full top 10 are- P1: Dennis, P2: Cassidy, P3: Nato, P4: Evans, P5: Guenther, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Mortara, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Vergne and P10: Da Costa.
Round 10-
Antonio Felix da Costa sealed the title of Berliner Meister with a record third win at Tempelhof to hand Porsche a first win on home soil in Formula E.
Cassidy jumped Dennis into Turn 1 with Nato following, before Wehrlein was able to fire his Porsche into second come the end of lap 2.
A tour later and Cassidy decided to take his first of two mandatory 50kW Attack Mode power boosts, dropping him to third and promoting Wehrlein to the lead before the rest of the lead pack made the jump.
Da Costa made his first trip through the Attack Mode activation loop on lap 8, leaving Wehrlein to take the lead although again, only for a short spell as the Porsche team swapped their drivers around on track leaving da Costa to attack Cassidy.
Another shunt for Maximilian Guenther left him pointless on home soil and the Safety Car on track while the pieces were picked up. On the restart lap 15, da Costa and Wehrlein led the pack away in the Porsche’s with Evans, Rowland, Cassidy, Dennis, Nato, Mortara, Vergne and Fenestraz the top 10.
Lap 20 and the lead group were running millimetres apart in a constant battle with remaining energy levels looking even – it was anybody’s game at just over the half way stage.
The safety car was required again as Nato and Fenestraz came to blows towards the back end of the points-paying positions. The Nissan was left in the wall requiring recovery, while Nato found himself shuffled well down the order.
Evans gained track position on lap 31, moving by teammate Cassidy and then leader da Costa though the Kiwi was yet to take his final Attack Mode boost. Dennis and Wehrlein’s scrap continued at the hairpin – the Andretti driver nudging the Porsche, damaging his front wing in the process.
Cassidy made his claim for third with a move up the inside of Evans at Turn 9 on lap 39, before setting about Rowland and leader da Costa. Into the hairpin, Cassidy made further progress, dispatching Rowland, but da Costa had more than a second in-hand out front.
The full top 10 are- P1: Da Costa, P2: Cassidy, P3: Rowland, P4: Wehrlein, P5: Dennis, P6: Evans, P7: Daruvala, P8: Barnard, P9: Eriksson and P10: Vergne.
TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa was the quickest guy on track for the first Free Practice Session for the 2024 Sun Minimeal Berlin E-Prix.
Getting to grips with the new layout at the iconic Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit, with the Season 6 champion joined by ERT’s Sergio Sette Camara and the DS PESNKE of Stoffel Vandoorne in the top three.
There was also some early drama as championship leader Pascal Wehrlein came to a dramatic halt a few minutes into the session. The German was forced to jump out of the car before even setting a time, not the ideal start to his and the team’s home race weekend.
The super substitutes made the most of the running, with Joel Eriksson being the fastest of the bunch, who has experience in Formula E with eight race starts to his name.
Ten minutes was left of the session, and the grid was separated by a second from Dennis to McLaren’s Taylor Barnard.
FP2-
Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilan Guenther was top of the timesheets in the final free practice session before qualifying.
Guenther was able to set a time of 1m 02.177s in the final moments of the 30 minute session to give his home crowd something to cheer about. Just behind him was the ABT of Lucas di Grassi, and Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein in third after a technical issue in FP1.
Making the most of the last practice session before qualifying, drivers were pushing their cars to the limits. Yet, one going a bit too much was Envision’s Joel Eriksson who clipped the wall on one of his runs.
With ten minutes left on the clock, a brief red flag was deployed to collect a rogue advertising banner, however teams were quickly sent back out again.
Qualifying-
Edoardo Mortara sparked delight in the Mahindra Racing garage, as the Swiss-French-Italian steered to Julius Baer Pole Position and the team’s first points of the season.
Nothing split Mortara and Vandoorne over more than half of the lap at the reconfigured Tempelhof circuit. Two thirds of the lap were down before the two could be separated – with the Mahindra Racing driver pulling out a couple of tenths over the DS racer.
Some big names were knocked out in the Groups, including Antonio Felix da Costa, Mitch Evans, Jake Dennis and Nick Cassidy.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Mortara, P2: Vandoorne, P3: Vergne, P4: Sette Camara, P5: Guenther, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Daruvala, P8: Di Grassi, P9: Da Costa and P10: Cassidy.
Round 9-
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy produced a stunning comeback drive having slipped to 21st at the half-way stage, to take the chequered flag first and the race win.
Mortara covered off Vandoorne into Turn 1 as the pack filtered through unscathed – only Sette Camara of the top six made moves, passing Vergne for third at the final corner but only temporarily.
Once the first round of Attack Mode shook out, Vergne led Vandoorne, with the DS pair working in tandem to maximise efficiency while keeping track position. The Porsche pair of Wehrlein and da Costa followed.
At a quarter race distance, Vergne led Vandoorne, Wehrlein, Mortara, da Costa and Sette Camara the top six while Joel Eriksson’s Envision was recovered under a full course yellow then a safety car – the Swede clipping the wall and breaking his right-rear suspension.
On lap 17, the race went green once again, with the lead a fluid concept between any of four cars out front as the second round of attack mode activations began.
Mortara hit the front once again as the race hit lap 22, before being passed again by early leaders Vergne and Wehrlein, with da Costa third on lap 24. Jake Dennis, meanwhile had clambered from the back of the pack to eighth with as much as six percentage points of energy in-hand on some of the leaders.
Less than a second split the top eight with 27 laps down. Wehrlein and da Costa were the current leaders, though things were changing by the sector.
Guenther’s forward foray came to an abrupt end, as contact with Hughes on lap 30 speared the Maserati into the wall and out of the race- which then required a second appearance for the Porsche Safety Car.
Evans led things away on lap 34, with Wehrlein holding off Rowland before the Yorkshireman fired it up the inside of the Porsche and Evans for the lead at the hairpin before da Costa sliced by just a turn later.
Dennis ran deep into the hairpin on lap 36, losing four spots and ultimately having to pit due to a right-front puncture having come into close contact with da Costa’s Porsche. With six laps left and energy in-hand, having driven from 20th on the grid, it proved to be a super costly coming together.
Six laps were added for those spells under caution, and Evans headed the way from Vergne – having taken his remaining Attack Mode.
Every corner seemed to be three-wide for the lead and beyond as the laps ticked away. Cassidy meanwhile, had come for nowhere – 21st on lap 21, having slipped down from ninth – to take second from Rowland with just three laps left to run and hit the front.
From there, he bolted – the Jaguar driver some 1.5 seconds quicker than Vergne behind and striding to a two-second advantage out-front as second to eighth squabbled.
The full top 10 are- P1: Cassidy, P2: Vergne, P3: Rowland, P4: Evans, P5: Wehrlein, P6: Da Costa, P7: Vandoorne, P8: Mortara, P9: Fenestraz and P10: Barnard.
Mahindra Racing will field Frederik Vesti in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s upcoming Berlin Rookie Test on 13th May.
The Dane is among the standout talents to emerge from the FIA’s single-seater pathway in recent times, where he has grabbed an impressive 37 race victories and 81 podium finishes across stints in Formula 4, Formula Regional, FIA Formula 3 and FIA Formula 2.
The 22 year old from Langelund narrowly finished runner-up in Formula 2 last season where he scored an impressive six victories and 10 podiums.
Since departing Formula 2, Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Reserve Driver Vesti has been a pillar of the team’s simulator programme, and concentrated his racing efforts on sportscars in the European Le Mans Series but will get his first experience of the Gen3 with Mahindra Racing in Berlin.
Lining up alongside one of Formula 2’s current leading lights and of Mahindra’s current Reserve Drivers, Kush Maini.
In preparation, he has already visited Mahindra’s purpose-built factory in Banbury for a seat fit, and to begin building up his knowledge and understanding the car on the team’s simulator.
First of all, I’d like to say a big thank you to Fred for giving me this opportunity. It’s a great chance to test, and to prove myself as a rookie in a new championship. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn, which is only going to help me grow as a driver. It’s what motivates me, I’m really looking forward to trying the GEN3 Formula E car, which I understand is quite a challenge. That’s probably what I like most about Formula E, it is challenging and the fact it’s a competitive World Championship that attracts some of the best drivers – and teams – is a great platform for me. I’ve finished up my preparations together with the team, so now I’m counting down the days until Berlin! Vesti on the news.
We’re delighted to welcome Frederik to the team for the Berlin Rookie Test. This event is important for the team, in order to continue our testing programme and development work, but there is an equal focus on giving new talent the opportunity to experience the world of Formula E. He’s young, enthusiastic, and very quick – all the right traits for us to give him a chance in the car. His record in the junior categories speaks for itself. I’m confident that, with a drivers of Frederik’s abilities and experience, and together with Kush, we will be able to have a productive test and keep the team moving forward from there. Frederic Bertrand, Mahindra Racing CEO and Team Principal.
Sam Bird will sit out this weekends Berlin E-Prix double header, as he recovers from surgery on his hand.
NEOM McLaren have confirmed that 19 year old Taylor Barnard will be continuing his duties as Reserve Driver, covering for an injured Sam Bird.
Barnard was drafted in after Sam Bird broke his hand in an accident during Monaco in FP1, when his car locked up and went down an escape road near Sainte Devote. Despite his best efforts to rescue the car, Bird hit the barrier and failed to let go of the steering wheel which then led to the injury.
Bird has now undergone a successful surgery on his left hand, with the team supporting Sam and his recovery to ensure he can compete again as quickly as achievable.
During his Formula E debut, Barnard managed to finish the Monaco E-Prix in 14th after he started at the back of the pack.
We’re very pleased to report positive progress on Sam’s recovery, with a successful operation on his hand supporting his journey back into the car. Taylor did a stellar job in his last-minute call-up in Monaco, as did the team, who provided him with great support and guidance throughout. He will now be able to build on that experience, while Sam works on his recovery – with the team’s full support. We’re looking forward to having Sam back in the car soon. Ian James, Team Principal.
Electric Racing Technologies have announced that reigning F1 Academy Champion, Marta Garcia will represent the team in the upcoming Berlin Rookie Test.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated Monaco E-Prix this weekend, the Shanghai-Silverstone based squad have shared the exciting news that they labeled as a “significant milestone in motorsport”.
Garcia is a hugely influential and talented driver, who gained worldwide attention when she won the very first season of F1 Academy last year. With the Managing Director of F1 Academy being former Venturi Formula E Team Principal, Susie Wolff.
This season, Garcia will be racing with Iron Dames in the highly competitive Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA).
The Berlin Rookie Test allows teams to give new talent a chance to try the latest Formula E machinery, as has been the birthplace for many of the biggest talents in the paddock today.
I am thrilled to join ERT Formula E Teamfor the Berlin Rookie Test. Formula E represents the future of motorsport, and I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to experience it firsthand. I’ve been following the championship closely, and I’m eager to get behind the wheel of the ERT X24 car and contribute to the team’s development. This test is a stepping stone in my career, and I’m determined to make the most of it. Garcia on the news.
We are incredibly excited to welcome Marta García to the ERT Formula E family for the Berlin Rookie Test. Marta’s exceptional talent and achievements in F1 Academy are undeniable. This test serves as a fantastic platform to showcase her skills within the dynamic environment of Formula E. We are confident that Marta will quickly adapt to the unique demands of electric racing and provide valuable insights for the team. Alex Hui, Team Principal of ERT Formula E Team.
Kelvin van der Linde will be returning to Formula E for ABT CUPRA in Berlin, where he will be replacing Nico Mueller for the weekend.
The South African-born driver will replace regular driver Mueller for Rounds 9 & 10 of the season on 11th & 12th May, with the German competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship that same weekend.
Van der Linde is the team’s Reserve and Simulator driver impressed in three Formula E races at the beginning of Season 9 while Robin Frijns recovered for a hand injury sustained in Mexico City.
After van der Linde’s appearance in the ABT Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 on the fabled Nordschleife of the Buerburgring, he will contest two weekend in DTM before the Formula E event in Berlin. This means that within a month he will be competing in all three motorsport categories in which ABT Sportsline is involved.
Nico is in extremely strong form at the moment, so of course it hurts a bit to be without him for two races. However, we don’t want to put any obstacles in the way of his parallel commitment to the WEC and have therefore given him the official go-ahead. With Kelvin we are in the fortunate position of having a driver who is familiar with Formula E, our team and the current generation of the racecar and who has already completed three races for us – we are all looking forward to another weekend together. Thomas Biermaier, ABT CEO and Team Principal.
I am really looking forward to my comeback in Formula E, especially to the many fans and the special location in Berlin. I’ve already spent many hours in the simulator with the team and been to the Formula E events, but of course it’s something completely different to drive myself. My goal is to play my part in the team’s upward trend. And maybe we’ll even pull off a little surprise. It’s exciting few weeks with commitments in a variety of cars and championships – but that’s exactly how I want it to be as a racer. Van der Linde on the news.
Mahindra Racing has confirmed Jordan King, will make his ABB FIA Formula E World Championship debut at the Berlin E-Prix next month on the 11th – 12th May as he substitutes for Nyck de Vries.
With de Vries unavailable to participate in the double-header around Tempelhof Airport due to a pre-existing commitment to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship on the same weekend, the team will utilise the service of King, one of its two existing Reserve Drivers.
The 30 years old extensive CV in international single-seaters includes stints in the IndyCar Series, FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3. King has previously acted as Test Driver for the Manor Racing Formula 1 team, and currently holds a simulator and development role with Alpine F1 Team.
King has extensive knowledge and experience with Mahindra’s M10Electro, having already completed eight test days – plus countless hours on the team’s simulator back at base – as part of his regular duties.
It goes without saying that I’m hugely excited to make my debut in Formula E next month in Berlin. Mahindra is a team that I know inside and out after four years of working together, and a car that I’m already incredibly familiar with and helped to develop. My focus is on keeping the team’s momentum going on the development front, and of course to enjoy the opportunity to be out there racing again.
King on the news.
Although it is frustrating to lose Nyck for a weekend because of a calendar clash, he has pre-existing commitments to honour, so we’ve known for a while now that we will need to find a solution. Jordan fits the bill perfectly, for us. He knows both the car and the team and has already played an integral role in our development so far this season, so there is no ‘on-boarding’ process.
Frederic Bertrand, Mahindra Racing CEO and Team Principal.
Envision Racing have announced a changed line-up for the Berlin race weekend – Round 9 & 10 on the 11th to 12th May, with Joel Eriksson and Paul Aron stepping into the seats.
A calendar clash with the FIA World Endurance Championship rules Sebastien Buemi and Robin Frijns out of Round 9, with the FIA regulations preventing them competing in Round 10 on the Sunday – with the two races being considered as the same event. Both Buemi and Frijns will be on-site in support of the team.
Eriksson, 25 is the current Jaguar TCS Racing test, simulator and reserve driver and has been released by Jaguar and will race for the team. The Swede who tested with Envision back in 2018, has already competed in eight Formula E races to date and is very familiar with both Gen3 and the Jaguar powertain.
Aron, 20 is currently competing in FIA Formula 2 and sits second in the current standings for his rookie campaign, deeming himself one of the most exciting young prospects in single-seater racing. He has already grabbed three podium finishes this season.
Aron will embark on an intensive simulator programme with the team to get him prepared for Berlin as well as taking part in Free Practice 0 at Misano.
This is a very unusual situation for us as a team, and we are obviously frustrated that the calendar clash could not be resolved by the FIA and FEO. However, we have to make the best of the situation, and I believe with both Joel and Paul we have two very exciting and competitive drivers.
Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director and CTO at Envision Racing.
It’s a great opportunity to race for Envision Racing in Berlin. I’m very much looking forward to experiencing Formula E for the first time and working with the team. We’ll be working hard up until the race to prepare for the event, starting with the rookie session this week in Misano.
Aron on the news.
It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to be racing in Formula E again, this time with Envision Racing. After taking part in my first ever Formula E test with Envision, it’s great to be racing for them in Berlin, and we’ll be working hard together to have a successful weekend.
Matt Campbell is set to jump into the car at Porsche at Misano Rookie Free Practice session. Porsche’s sportscar racer will take part in FP0 on Formula E’s visit to Misano ahead of Rounds 6 & 7, which will be his first taste of Formula E machinery.
Campbell has more than impressed so far in 2024, with wins at the famed Daytona 24 Hours and Bathurst 12 Hours for Porsche, while he took pole and third position in the FIA World Endurance Championship season-opener in Qatar in March.
Porsche works driver, Thomas Preining will be joining Dennis Hauger at Porsche for the Rookie Test after May’s Berlin double-header, at the all-day session on Monday 13th May.
Preining is currently competing in Deustche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), where he won the championship last year. His been racing in the championship since 2022, which he scored his and Porsche’s first win in the series. Due to Preining’s affiliation with Porsche, their Formula E team offered him a drive in the Rookie Test at Marrakech back in 2020.
Hauger who currently races in Formula 2, won the FIA Formula 3 Championship back in 2021 and the Italian F4 Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing. In September 2017, Hauger was named as one of Red Bull Junior Team, and later announced as one of four reserve drivers for the Formula One team in 2023. Hauger then announced he would split with Red Bull following the end of 2023 after six years with the team.
Andretti have chosen Zane Maloney who will take the wheel of the teams’ Porsche 99X Electric in the Free Practice 0 session in Misano and the Berlin Rookie Test, with Jak Crawford joining the American squad for the first time to sample the Gen3 machine.
The next generation of racing talent will again have a chance to showcase their skills in Season 10. Free Practice 0 running ahead of the 2024 Misano E-Prix on Friday 12th April, followed by the 2024 Berlin Rookie Test after the double-header in the German capital on Monday 13th May.
Andretti is the first team to reveal the two drivers stepping into the seat of reigning champion, Jake Dennis and teammate Norman Nato. Zane Maloney is back to represent the American outfit, as he is the team’s official reserve and development by running laps in the FPO session in Milano.
Maloney will again take part in the Berlin test and American Jak Crawford will join for a full day behind the wheel of the Gen3 machine around the Tempelhof circuit.
Crawford who will make his Formula E debut at the 2024 Berlin Rookie Test has enjoyed a long history of on track success starting in karts before making his car racing debut in Formula 4 in 2018. After two years in FIA Formula 3, Crawford was promoted to Formula 2 quickly becoming a race winner at the Sprint race in Austria in 2023.
Recently announced to the Aston Martin Young Driver Development program, Crawford will be the seventh American to participate in an official Formula E session joining fellow countrymen Marco Andretti, Matthew Brabham, Scott Speed, Oliver Askew, Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood.
I can’t wait to represent Andretti Formula E once again at both Misano and Berlin. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the team and thank them for all the trust they have put in me. It will be interesting to see how the development work I’ve contributed to behind the scenes translates to the actual car on track during both occasions I get to drive it.
Maloney on the news.
We are excited to announce Zane Maloney’s participation in the Free Practice 0 session at the 2024 Misano E-Prix, as well as his inclusion in our 2024 Berlin Rookie Test lineup. Zane has proven to be a valuable asset to our team through his development work on the simulator, and we are confident that his knowledge will benefit us during the Misano E-Prix doubleheader weekend and the Berlin Rookie Test. Additionally, we are pleased to announce Jak Crawford’s rookie debut at the Berlin Rookie Test,which marks an important milestone in his career. We look forward to seeing him showcase his talents on the Formula E stage. These opportunities are integral to Andretti Global’s commitment to developing and mentoring the next generation of drivers, and we are eager to see both Zane and Jak excel on track.
The unmissable German round on the calendar is getting a big shake up for the new season, with a new layout and a new test to tackle at Tempelhof from the 11th to 12th May 2024.
Berlin has been the only location to have featured every season on the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Calendar, soon entering its 10th season.
Aside from a street circuit in the country’s capital, used in Season 2, the all-electric championship has raced around the iconic Tempelhof Airport on 17 occasions, on a variety of layouts. As well as being host to the Berlin E-Prix, the venue became a unique destination for the championship when it held six races during nine days over the pandemic at the end of Season 6.
The most recent layout used in 2023 was a 2.355km track that generated an incredible 362 overtakes over the two days of racing – including eight different race leaders which was a new record for Formula E. But things, are now becoming bigger and better, with a longer circuit and even more corners for this new season.
Over the two days of action, Formula E will be racing on the modified 2.585km layout with 15 stunning corners and several longer straights. The changes have been brought in as a result of development work at the Tempelhof Airport, with Formula E’s track designers seizing the opportunity to create a new layout for the circuit.
The circuit is already a challenge for the drivers due to the abrasive track surface, meaning they really have to nurse their tyres on the asphalt.
The new Berlin Tempelhof layout retains all the soul of the old circuit, while presenting new challenges for drivers and teams – putting skill behind the wheel as well as efficiency and energy consumption truly to the test. The combination of fast, medium and slow-speed corners will give rise to a number of different set-up choices, handing the advantage to different drivers in different parts of the lap, while two major overtaking zones mean exciting races are guaranteed!
Pablo Martino, Formula E Head of Sporting Matters, FIA.
In the history of Formula E, the Berlin E-Prix and its iconic location at Tempelhof Airport has always been a great and firm asset to our championship. In the history of Formula E, the Berlin E-Prix and its iconic location at Tempelhof Airport has always been a great and firm asset to our championship. As always, on the sporting event preparation and delivery, Formula E will continue to be supported by the DMSB and the professional sporting club ADAC, which we take the opportunity to thank for their loyalty and affection to our electric series.
Mitch Evans led the way in a wet Free Practice 3 ahead of the SABIC Berlin E-Prix Round 8, with Gen3 seeing its first outing in rainy conditions, with Saturday’s race winner on it right away.
Rain fell overnight with a light drizzle in the morning creating a slick track surface for the 22 car field to contend with.
NEOM McLaren’s Rene Rast required recovery early on with technical issues, other than that brief Red Flag stoppage, it was a valuable, busy session as teams gathered data.
Mitch Evans put in a 1m 15.955s – some 10 seconds down on FP1’s dry pace – with teammate Sam Bird down in 12th. More encouragement for Jaguar TCS Racing, with its car looking quick in all conditions.
Qualifying-
Robin Frijns and ABT CUPRA pulled off one of the shocks of Season 9 so far in Berlin as the Dutchman headed an all-ABT front-row lockout in the first wet qualifying session.
We saw the ABT CUPRA cars hook it up and finally find their feet, with the stunning front-row lock out in front of the team’s home support. That was Frijns’ second ever Julius Baer Pole Position and a first for the team since its return to the series as well as for partners CUPRA.
Sam Bird couldn’t replicate his pace from yesterday and failed to make it through to the Duels – a big change from being on the front row the day before.
Maximilian Guenther also had a poor result, and will start his race towards the back of the grid after finishing last in the Group B qualifying. With it being the first time in five races that he has failed to progress into the qualifying Duels.
Round 8-
Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy picked his moment to hit the front and went on to seal the race win in the SABIC Berlin E-Prix Round 8, as he got the best of a tight field to clamber from eighth to the top set of the podium.
The unique Berlin Tempelhof Circuit threw up a second intensely tactical race in as many days, brimming with overtakes – 172 in total making for 362 over the weekend.
The Kiwi started eighth and hit the front on Lap 25, he drove supremely to stay there – setting the pace, given the okay from his engineer on Lap 33, and mastering Formula E’s tightrope of ultimate pace, racecraft and energy.
Jake Dennis was in striking distance come the chequered flag, just half a second back at the flag but not close enough to topple Cassidy – who now has four podiums on the spin and draws to within four points of standings leader Pascal Wehrlein.
Wehrlein started sixth, in a stronger position than recent races having complained of poor one-lap pace in qualifying. He did lead a couple of times – the first on Lap 15 – but ultimately couldn’t live with the leader and found himself shuffled to seventh at the race’s end.
The standout drive was arguably Maximilian Guenther’s from 21st on the grid. The Maserati MSG Racing driver followed up on securing the team’s first podium in Round 7 with a sixth a day later – climbing 15 positions through the pack.
The full top 10 are: P1: Cassidy, P2: Dennis, P3: Vergne, P4: Evans, P5: Da Costa, P6: Guenther, P7: Wehrlein, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Muller and P10: Ticktum.
We are back racing in just under two weeks, with our next race being in Monaco on the 6th May for Round 9!
DS PENSKE’s Stoffel Vandoorne set the early pace in Free Practice 1 at the SABIC Berlin E-Prix. The reigning Drivers’ World Champion popped in a 1m 05.803s at the Tempelhof Airport Circuit which has held the most races in Formula E history.
A second split the top 20 drivers, with the top nine being separated by only three tenths!
Behind Vandoorne, it was Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis in second place, with Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther in third.
The Maserati of Edoardo Mortara brought out a brief yellow flag around ten minutes into the session as his Gen3 car went into the barriers. Later on in the session, Robin Frijns went for a little spin in his ABT Cupra.
FP2-
Maserati MSG Racing continued to look strong at the SABIC Berlin E-Prix, as Maximilian Guenther delighted his home crowd by going fastest in Free Practice 2 with the quickest time seen around the circuit – 1m 05.301s.
Behind Guenther was Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy in second who is currently on a streak of three consecutive podiums. Double Formula E Champion, Jean-Eric Vergne slotted into third.
Edoardo Mortara, almost had a repeat of his FP1 incident yesterday. However, only moments later Mahindra Racing’s Oliver Rowland sent his M9Electro into the barriers after a hefty lock up at Turn 1.
Qualifying-
Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi took a Formula E record 16th, and second Julius Baer Pole Position of the season, much to surprise after making two mistakes on his final qualifying lap and dealing with a recently broken bone in his hand.
With both Buemi and Bird being powered by the Jaguar I-TYPE 6, it was always going to be close, but it was Buemi who snatched pole by over a tenth to second place Sam Bird.
NIO 333’s qualifying went from strength to strength after Dan Ticktum joined his teammate into Quarters, who have never had both their cars in Duels stage since it was introduced at the start of Season 8.
For home heroes, TAG Heuer Porsche, Antonio Felix da Costa ended Group A in 10th, his worst performance in the Groups this year. His teammate, Pascal Wehrlein, could only manage eighth in Group A too – the same he did last time out in Brazil.
Round 7-
Jaguar TCS Racing played a blinder with their race strategy to seal a Mitch Evans, Sam Bird one-two in a beautifully chaotic SABIC Berlin E-Prix Round 7 that saw 190 overtakes and a record 20 at the line lead changes and eight different race leaders.
Throughout the entire race distance, some 43 laps, the field never mind the top 10, proved to be completely inseparable. Dan Ticktum had launched himself into the lead in style with a stunning move around the outside of Turn 1 right by Sebastien Buemi, Sam bird and Stoffel Vandoorne.
Glancing at the timing screens yielded a different race leader at almost every stage as positions changed left and right, with the first of two spells under the Safety Car compounding things further and seeing the field split by just over five seconds at a little over the halfway stage.
The Jaguar pair and Buemi then clambered to fill out the top three spots after Guenther had briefly taken P1 as the race headed into its closing stages. The Jaguar powered cars went on to stretch their legs, with Guenther looking to pick up the pieces as the front three squabbled for the race lead.
The full top 10 are: P1: Evans, P2: Bird, P3: Guenther, P4: Buemi, P5: Cassidy, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Vergne, P8: Lotterer, P9: Mortara and P10: Rowland.
Round 7 winner, Edoardo Mortara set the benchmark once again in FP1 as he set a 1m 06.373s at the reverse, clockwise layout of the Tempelhof Airport Circuit. Overnight work was carried out to switch from the traditional track to the anti-clockwise version, giving drivers a whole new circuit to get used to.
Mortara adapted the quickest, with Porsche’s Andre Lotterer was up there once again on home soil. Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis came home third. Pascal Wehrlein and front row qualifier, Alexander Sims rounded out the top five.
The full top 10 are: P1: Mortara, P2: Lotterer, P3: Dennis, P4: Wehrlein, P5: Sims, P6: Vergne, P7: De Vries, P8: Di Grassi, P9: Da Costa and P10: Bird.
FP2-
ROKiT Venturi’s pace was still unbeatable in Free Practice 2, as Lucas di Grassi and Edoardo Mortara led the way with the first and second quickest times of the day.
Di Grassi’s 1m 06.133s was two tenths quicker than his teammate managed in FP1 and 0.150s quicker than Mortara in FP2. The pair then lead Oliver Rowland, who went quickest in the first session ahead of Round 7.
The full top 10 are: P1: Di Grassi, P2: Mortara, P3: Rowland, P4: Vandoorne, P5: Wehrlein, P6: Dennis, P7: Vergne, P8: Frijns, P9: Turvey and P10: Da Costa.
Qualifying-
ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Edoardo Mortara, held his own in qualifying as he grasped a second consecutive Julius Baer Pole Position in two days, he only had to wait 5 years and two came along at once!!…
The shock of qualifying for Round 8 was seeing the top 3 in the championship not start higher than 7th… Vandoorne who came into the weekend leading the championship only managed P8, Vergne who is in 2nd in the Championship was behind the leader and the same for Mitch Evans also, who had been on a role until now.
The full top 10 are: P1: Mortara, P2: Frijns, P3: De Vries, P4: Lotterer, P5: Da Costa, P6: Cassidy, P7: Di Grassi, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Vergne and P10: Evans.
Round 8-
Mercedes EQ driver and reigning champion Nyck de Vries, powered to a comfortable, managed drive to the race win, where he won the Season 7 title triumph. Mortara following 2.5s back, with Vandoorne making it two Mercedes EQ cars on the podiums and three Mercedes EQ powertrains in the top three. The Belgians third place finish also extended his silverware streak to three races.
Lucas di Grassi came home fourth to extend that to four Mercedes powered cars in the top four in a dominant outing. Oliver Rowland made good progress from 10th to an eventual seventh. A bit of a weird weekend for DS Techeetah as Jean-Eric Vergne finished 9th…
We’ve had a bit of a difficult ride the past three races. So, honestly I’m just very pleased to be here and to be back. Obviously it’s a bit of an emotional one for me. It was the perfect way to come back after a difficult day yesterday and the work put in with my engineers to find positives. Edo (Mortara) has been very strong all weekend so we definitely had to keep it clean, but the team managed very well on their side and I executed it, so I’m very pleased.
Nyck de Vries on winning Round 8.
The full top 10 are: P1: De Vries, P2: Mortara, P3: Vandoorne, P4: Di Grassi, P5: Frijns, P6: Da Costa, P7: Rowland, P8: Lotterer, P9: Vergne and P10: Evans.
We now have just under 3 weeks until we are back for Round 9, for the Jakarta E-Prix on the 4th June!
Mahindra Racing’s Oliver Rowland, set the early pace with a 1m 06.270s ahead of Lucas di Grassi, with current World Champion leader, Stoffel Vandoorne back in third.
Edoardo Mortara, placed his ROKiT Venturi Racing Silver Arrow 02, fourth to make it two in the top four for the Monegasque team. The top 20 runners sat within eight and a half tenths of a second of one another, come the chequered flag on the session.
Full top 10 were: P1: Rowland, P2: Di Grassi, P3: Vandoorne, P4: Mortara, P5: Dennis, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Vergne, P8: Buemi, P9: Da Costa and P10: Frijns.
FP2-
Andre Lotterer put in a late lap to top the timesheets of Free Practice 2, ahead of Edoardo Mortara in 2nd and Sebastien Buemi in 3rd.
After the first free practice having 20 drivers split by just over 0.850s and this time, 21 drivers were separated by under three quarters of a second. Lap times aren’t the only focus in practice though, as drivers and engineers will be working flat out to understand things like energy management and setup ahead of qualifying and the race.
The top 10 were: P1: Lotterer, P2: Mortara, P3: Buemi, P4: Wehrlein, P5: Frijns, P6: Evans, P7: Dennis, P8: Da Costa, P9: Rowland and P10: Vandoorne.
Qualifying-
Edoarado Mortara, fired to a maiden Julius Baer Pole Position ahead of Round 7, as the ROKiT Venturi driver hung it all on the line to beat Alexander Sims to the mark.
But, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Mortara, as he looked to be compromised by a Turn 1 error, the Swiss-French-Italian running wide and opening the opportunity for Sims to capitalise.
The highlight of qualifying though was the Semis between Jean-Eric Vergne and Alexander Sims, having dived deep into Turn 1, but not as much as Vergne did- Vergne fell back by 0.150s.
As the lap continued, the gap gradually kept coming down as JEV was fighting hard. Vergne continued to reel the Brit in and as the Frenchman flew across the start/finish line he’d exactly matched Sims’ effort, the pair setting an identical lap time down to the thousandth of a second.
The top 10 were: P1: Mortara, P2: Sims, P3: Da Costa, P4: Vergne, P5: Lotterer, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Sette Camara, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Evans and P10: Buemi.
Round 7-
Edoardo Mortara, produced a complete drive to seal victory in the Berlin E-Prix, Round 7 heading home Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne.
But, nothing is that simple as Mortara had all to do as a fiesty looking Vergne back and the decisive moment came on Lap 37 as the Venturi driver went on the defensive at Turn 6, luring JEV into a move – the Frenchman diving too deep and fall back 1.5s.
Vandoorne produced one of the drives of the day, as he shuffled down the order to 12th at the end of Lap 12, the Belgian driver had slipped by six by the halfway point and looked as good a bet to take the race win. But, he had to settle for third after a back and forth with Vergne.
The full top 10 were: P1: Mortara, P2: Vergne, P3: Vandoorne, P4: Lotterer, P5: Evans, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Bird, P8: Da Costa, P9: Sims and P10: De Vries.
We are back for Formula E this weekend with a double header in Berlin for Round 7 and 8, which marks our halfway point of Season 8.
Formula E’s 11 teams and 22 drivers return to the German capital – a fixture which has been on the calendar since 2014/15 to tackle an anti-clockwise and clockwise variation of the circuit.
With Vandoorne currently leading the Championship, will he be victorious in Berlin? His teammate definitely needs a good weekend, de Vries currently sits in 8th on 39 points, he needs another win to kick start to defend his Championship title.
What can Mitch do? His came off the back of two very good weekends, so he will be raring to go once again and get on that podium.
The Circuit-
Back for the eight year, the race takes place on the giant apron section of the historic Berlin Tempelhof Airport. The drivers can expect a challenge with two circuits over two days, as the Sundays race will see the return of the reversed NILREB circuit for Round 8.
Drivers should also be aware of the challenge of the concrete being high grip which can take its toll on energy levels and race strategies. Saturday will see the driver tackle the circuit traditionally in anti clockwise, where as Sunday is clockwise.
Mitch Evans currently holds the Berlin Lap Record with a 1:08.350 (2020). Lucas di Grassi holds the NILREB Lap Record with a 1:08.305 (2021).
Jordan's Track Talk 