A look back at the Berlin ePrix – Saturday: Rosenqvist, a stunning debut!

One thousandth and the pole for Lucas di Grassi

The first qualifying session of the weekend had already delivered its share of emotions. The ABT Schaeffler team driver secured the pole position and the three bonus points offered, with an unprecedented gap against José Maria Lopez (DS Virgin Racing). Never before had a battle for pole been so tight in the history of the discipline!

However, the Brazilian could have been significantly hindered by an ankle injury sustained in a gala football match played earlier this weekend. But the Paulista rose to the challenge, all while starting first in the super pole!

But on this concrete track, unlike most of the other circuits which are asphalt, the order of passage seems less important. Di Grassi took advantage of this to secure his second pole of the season (and of his career), after the one obtained in Buenos Aires.

A great deal while Sébastien Buemi was in trouble! The championship leader missed his session. Despite being placed in the last group, supposedly the most favorable, the driver got lost in his settings aboard his Renault e.dams. Afterwards, Buemi complained of excessive oversteer, preventing him from getting things in the right order, ending up in a distant 14th position, seven-tenths off the poleman!

Already in sight, Felix Rosenqvist was the fastest at the end of the qualifying groups. Ahead of di Grassi after the second sector during his Super Pole lap, the Swede lost significantly in the last corner, sliding into third position with a very respectable gap (0.083).

His teammate at Mahindra also did the job by securing fourth place, ahead of Sam Bird, who finished fifth but was disappointed considering his second place at the end of the first phase.

First Frenchman on the grid at that moment, Jean-Eric Vergne had started first among the others in sixth position, ahead of Oliver Turvey’s NextEV and Daniel Abt, another German driver involved.

Nico Prost had just barely brought a smile back to his team’s face by lining up in ninth position, ahead of Jérôme d’Ambrosio.

A big day for Rosenqvist and Mahindra!

The Swede did it! Rookie and revelation since the beginning of the season, Felix Rosenqvist had already impressed everyone in Marrakech mid-November by securing the pole and leading part of the race. But this time in Berlin, it was him who propelled his Mahindra to the top of the podium, after a well-executed race.

At the start, Rosenqvist took advantage of José Maria Lopez’s poor momentum, who dropped to fourth place after the first corners. In the wake of di Grassi, the former ART driver in DTM (2016) made his move once he got back in the Brazilian’s mirrors. Struggling at the end of the stint with the first car, especially with his front brakes, di Grassi made another error, which was one too many. In the 21st lap, Rosenqvist got close enough to attack him on the start-finish straight, just before the first hairpin turn.

Pass for the lead @FRosenqvist takes P1! #BerlinePrix pic.twitter.com/ceEnHDSQwK

— FIA Formula E (@FIAformulaE) 10 June 2017

The end of the next lap marked the pit stop for the car change. Wheel to wheel, Mahindra’s gem maintained the lead upon exit. He was hardly threatened afterwards, keeping a sufficient margin to see his adventure through to the end. Rosenqvist thus clinched the first victory of his career in Formula E, as early as his seventh race.

In the happiness of the Indian team, which also opens its record, Nick Heidfeld once again climbs to the third step of the podium, as in Monaco and Paris during the last two rounds.

With his second-place finish, Di Grassi reduces the gap between himself and Sébastien Buemi in the drivers’ championship: 110 points for the former compared to 142 for the driver in the Renault e.dams.

The overall leader nonetheless limited the damage by securing sixth place under the checkered flag, which became fifth after the penalty given to Vergne for a dangerous exit from the pit lane.

For this, Buemi had to get rid of some of his opponents, overtaking four drivers on the track during the first stint (Stéphane Sarrazin, Jérôme d’Ambrosio, Oliver Turvey, and Maro Engel). Re-entering in ninth position after the pit stops, the Swiss driver then got past Daniel Abt, Sam Bird (who dropped back due to a poor stop), and finally his teammate Nico Prost to secure ten points as a consolation for a rather average Saturday. The second DS Virgin Racing, driven by José Maria Lopez, secured fourth place.

Maro Engel completes the strong overall performance of the German drivers by finishing in the top 10 of this first race.

Another strong move by @Sebastien_buemi who’s now up to P8 #BerlinePrix pic.twitter.com/j56sentXwm

— FIA Formula E (@FIAformulaE) 10 juin 2017

From now on, tune in this Sunday for the summary of the second day. For the first time in Formula E, drivers will exceed 100 kilometers during the race. Which driver will be the most skillful in managing their electric energy?

Fantastic scenes on the podium as @FRosenqvist claims his first win #darewincelebrate @GHMUMM pic.twitter.com/Pd0aogarDy

— FIA Formula E (@FIAformulaE) 10 juin 2017