LONDON: There is still everything to play for going into the last race weekend of Formula E’s inaugural FIA World Championship season, with only 23 points separating drivers’ championship leader Nyck de Vries and René Rast in 10th place.
With Berlin hosting the final races of the season once again, having hosted one of the most exciting finales in motorsport in 2020, there are also only 86 points covering the top 10 teams with 96 points still available over the weekend.
The Berlin E-Prix has been present on the Formula E calendar since 2015, and this weekend Tempelhof Airport will once again host a thrilling finish to another closely-fought season, which started at Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah street circuit in February.
The first race on Saturday will use the circuit’s traditional anti-clockwise layout, but on Sunday will run in reverse, offering up a challenge for both the drivers and the teams.
“We’re heading into a weekend season finale where just about anything is possible, said ROKiT Venturi Racing Team Principal Susie Wolff. “We have a car starting in Group 2 and a car starting in Group 4 in qualifying which should hopefully work to our advantage and we’ve seen how quickly things can change over the course of a double header race weekend,” she added.
“It’s been an incredibly close, tight season and as we discovered in Puebla, one good weekend can change everything.
“We know we have the pace but we also know what we’re up against and only when the chequered flag waves on Sunday will we see if we’ve really achieved our ambitions for this season.”
ROKiT’s Swiss driver Edoardo Mortara, who currently sits 9th in the drivers’ championship standings on 74 points and 21 behind leader de Vries, is quietly confident of his chances in the two races.
“Racing on two different circuits on one weekend is a new challenge for everyone in Formula E but I’m feeling quite optimistic for Berlin,” he said.
“I’m excited to get back into the car and being a part of Group 2 qualifying should benefit us because we’ll avoid the usual difficulties that come from Group 1.
“I think if we can qualify well, we should be able to score a big haul of points in both races and consistency is my main aim for the weekend.
“If we can establish a strong performance baseline, we should be able to perform well and given the pace we have shown at points this season, I think we have the potential to challenge for podiums,” he added.