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Since Season 1, the Berlin E-Prix has thrown up every emotion and as we gear up for the return of Formula E’s 2019/20 campaign, we’ve been reflecting on our time in the German capital.
Our first six races in Berlin perfectly lead onto the six-race showdown we face this August and with so many memorable moments in the city, our tales aren’t in short supply.
While our maiden campaign was one of what could have been, our first visit to Berlin in Formula E’s inaugural season was a memorable affair.
In a 33-lap scrap that was filled with wheel-to-wheel action, Nick Heidfeld and Stephane Sarrazin were in the thick of it throughout.
As the race wound down to its conclusion, both Nick and Stephane were locked in a nail-biting fight for P4, doing battle against Loic Duval and Nelson Piquet Jr.
With energy levels critical, it was almost impossible to hold on and as such, the pair took a hard-fought P6 and P7 at the chequered flag.
When winner Lucas di Grassi was disqualified post-race, this propelled Nick and Stephane into a 5-6 result – a performance worthy of 18 points and our highest haul of Season 1!
A refreshed driver line-up in Season 2 coincided with a new home for the Berlin E-Prix as the event shifted 5-kilometers north-east to race around Strausberger Platz and Alexanderplatz.
For the race, Mike Conway lined up in P11 but for Stephane, a difficult day in the office was only compounded by a pit lane start as things went from bad to worse for the Frenchman.
Showing the same resilience that powers Monaco’s only racing team, however, he fought forward, clawing his way through the field.
Gaining an impressive eight positions, Stephane secured P10 to continue his points-scoring run of Season 2 while Mike snatched P8, fronting another double top 10 finish for the team in the German capital.
12-months on from our stunning street fight, the Berlin E-Prix returned to Tempelhof for Season 3 as the historic venue hosted a double-header round.
For the first leg of the event and the seventh race of the 2016/17 campaign, Maro Engel lined up in P11 while Tom Dillmann qualified P15 for only his second Formula E start.
A strong getaway saw Maro jump into P8 on lap 1, clearing Nico Prost, Oliver Turvey, and Jerome d’Ambrosio, and immediately, the GT ace settled into a rhythm for the 43 tours ahead.
Facing increasing pressure from behind, the German defended expertly, holding Prost at bay for nine laps and reigning champion Sebastien Buemi until lap 18.
Remaining inside the top 10 after a clinical performance, Maro notched two points by taking P9, extending Venturi’s total tally by doing so.
One day on from our P9 finish, the second leg of the 2017 Berlin double-header wasn’t quite as simple as the first, and from P13 and P15 on the grid, a difficult race was in store.
For Tom, it was a slow start as he dropped to P17 on lap 1 but when Maro made contact with Duval, it was game over for the German as he boxed with damage.
Embodying ROKiT Venturi Racing’s never give up mentality, however, he jumped into his second car – while a top 10 finish was out of the question, the fastest lap was still up for grabs.
Tearing around the 10-cornered venue, Maro pushed the VFE03 to the limit, and by clocking a 1:09.509s run, landed the fastest lap and with it, one bonus point.
Despite missing out on the top 10, Monaco’s only racing team continued its points-scoring run in Germany.
For Formula E’s final trip to Berlin in its first generation, the Season 4 event was characterised by close racing and never-ending action out on track.
After qualifying in P13 and P12, Maro and Tom had some work to do but a rapid assault was on the cards, advancing through the field to form a ROKiT Venturi Racing 9-10.
Pressure soon came from behind, however, and with an aggressive opening stint, Nick Heidfeld and Felix Rosenqvist overtook the duo. After the pit phase though, a fightback was on.
Maro quickly overtook both Mahindra drivers and followed this up with a pair of overtakes on Dragon team-mates Jose Maria Lopez and Jerome d’Ambrosio to take P8.
For Tom, it was a nail-biting end, and with a dramatic double overtake on d’Ambrosio and Heidfeld, he too moved into the points, now hunting down Lopez who held P9.
Turn 1 had other ideas and with a costly mistake, the Frenchman fell back into the clutches of the chasing pack, dropping to P13 where he ultimately finished.
With P8, Maro continued his run of scoring at home – and ROKiT Venturi Racing’s taste for points in Berlin.
In the most recent instalment of the Berlin E-Prix, Edoardo Mortara and Felipe Massa faced an uphill battle but as proven overtakers, a race-long duel was waiting in the wings.
From P16 and P19 on the grid, our dynamic duo made an impression immediately and by the end of the opening tour, Edo vaulted to P13 while Felipe gained two spots for P17.
The fighting throughout the 45-minute + 1 lap scrap was close, and from P8 downwards, a train of cars had formed, with the field following nose-to-tail.
Edo was at the heart of this, doing battle on the cusp of the points-scoring positions while behind, Felipe had slipped down to P19 after previously edging into P16.
An on-track stoppage for Alex Lynn led to a Full Course Yellow and a ROKiT Venturi Racing 12-18 on track and with only 15-minutes remaining, the time to fight forward had arrived.
When the green flag waved, Edo advanced into P11 with Pascal Wehrlein in his sights while Felipe waited patiently, searching for the opportune moment to strike.
Felipe waited until the final moments to pounce and by clearing Gary Paffett, d’Ambrosio and Lopez, took P15 at the flag while Edo missed out on the points by only 0.5s.
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