Formula E at Berlin Tempelhof: memories and news

by Marcelo Padin

Editorial Director of Electric Motor News

Versione italiana qui

Berlin Tempelhof, Germany, 7th June 2017.

We immediately realised it would have been a very windy day, the day we landed in Berlin. It was no surprise to us, owing to the airplane’s movement that the crew didn’t pointed out being just routine for it.

And actually, among wind, rain and bursts of sunlight… we came back to a historic scenario. We talked about the reason why it is worthy of being considered historic when the 2015 Berlin ePrix took place, the first time Formula E landed in Templehof… and the curious can read what we wrote at this EMN link: http://emn.electricmotornews.com/news-ed-eventi/corse/formula-e-tra-storia-e-tecnologia-a-tempelhof.

In those days, Formula E was like a “baby girl” and it is barely two years ago. Even so, it feels like an eternity.

It was the time Jarno Trulli used to race with his team, and it was just in Tempelhof that the Italian driver got his sole pole position; yet it was clear, after few curves, he couldn’t fight for the victory nor for a podium position.

The 2015 Berlin ePrix made history also because for the first time a driver who won the race has been right after disqualified. It happened to Lucas di Grassi, when his car’s spoilers resulted patched up by the ABT team and not in compliance with the original set up… so, after some hours, di Grassi had to leave his first position to Jerome D’Ambrosio, making him win his first Formula E race.

But there is another historic occurrence: the second time a winner was subject to disqualification, it was again the turn of di Grassi in favour of D’Ambrosio (2016 Mexico ePrix, second Season), who won just two Formula E races, both times out of the track even if properly and deserverdly.

Lastly, Themplhof is a milestone in Electric Motor News’ history. In 2015, during the Berlin ePrix, took place the (successful) attempt of breaking the global record of gathered e-cars… the WAVE and EMN begun that time to work together with Simone Rambaldi, who followed with us many other Formula E races.

Talking about the present

Wednesday, 7th June… EMN arrived early in the morning. Very early, finding many cars wrapped up and neither names nor pictures of the new official drivers still added to them, such as Tom Dillmann for Venturi and Stephane Sarrazin for Techeetah…

We learned that the Swedish driver Felix Rosenqvist and Mahindra Racing Team renewed the contract for the fourth Season… Rosenqvist, the newcomer of the year who right after the first race in Hong Kong showed to be that fast and able to control his vehicle.

One curiosity we found out by talking to the frequencies controllers is that all the airport’s devices are perfectly working, including the radar.

The remaining part of the day has passed as usual when waiting for a Formula E race… Like a slow awakening after the previous race, piking slowly but surely the pace up until it becomes frenetic. And, here in Berlin, such a frenetic pace will be multiplied by two (Saturday and Sunday with race 1 and 2), as well as in the next double-header rounds until current Season is done.


 

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