ALL EYES ON VICTORY AND THE TOP OF THE TEAMS’ AND DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP AS FORMULA E HEADS TO GERMANY
The opening six races of the 2022–23 Formula E World Championship have served up an absolute treat of wheel-to-wheel action and drama. As Envision Racing heads to the German capital for the Berlin E-Prix, the team find themselves as genuine title contenders.
Despite that elusive first victory of the season remaining just out of the reach, Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy sits third in the Drivers’ Championship standings. The Kiwi racer’s hat-trick of podiums place him just one point behind Jake Dennis in second, and 25 points off first-placed driver Pascal Wehrlein.
Not too far behind Cassidy is Envision Racing team-mate Sébastien Buemi. The multiple 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and ex-Formula One racer has shown scintillating pace in the new GEN3 machine, only to be hamstrung somewhat by a distinct lack of luck.
Despite this, the Swiss driver sits seventh in the Drivers’ Championship, and a change in fortunes and solid points haul in Berlin could quickly help propel him up the rankings.
BIG WEEKEND FOR BIG TEAM POINTS
After three single race weekends on brand new circuits, Formula E returns to Europe for the first double-header since the Diriyah E-Prix back in January. This weekend will be a chance to bag big points.
Envision Racing, and in particular Cassidy, have excelled on the brand new circuits of Hyderabad, Cape Town and Sao Paulo, amassing 62 points for the team to ensure second place in the Teams’ Championship standings.
With two races scheduled, the Berlin E-Prix will be a vital one for teams looking to recover from a slow start to the year, or in Envision Racing’s case, chase that so far agonisingly close victory.
Big points on the apron at Tempelhof Airport will be key to Envision Racing’s challenge as the second half of the 2022–23 Formula E World Championship beckons.
Drivers’ standings (after Rd 6):
1. Pascal Wehrlein, 86pts
2. Jake Dennis, 62pts
3. Nick Cassidy, 61pts
4. Jean-Éric Vergne, 60pts
5. António Félix da Costa, 58pts
7. Sébastien Buemi, 42pts
Teams’ standings (after Rd 6):
1. Porsche Formula E Team, 144pts
2. Envision Racing, 103pts
3. Jaguar Racing, 83pts
4. DS Penske, 82pts
5. Avalanche Andretti, 80pts
BACK ON FAMILIAR GROUND
This year’s Berlin E-Prix will be far from the first time the Envision Racing squad have competed in the historic and vibrant German capital. The inaugural Berlin E-Prix was held in 2015 as a stand alone race. In 2017, the Berlin E-Prix became a double-header for the first time, and in that year current Envision Racing charger Sébastien Buemi won his second race in the German capital.
For the COVID-19 pandemic-impacted season in 2020, the Tempelhof Circuit did some seriously heavy lifting. As the world locked down, and sporting events and travel became restricted, the German venue hosted six back-to-back races between August 5 and 13 to decide the outcome of the 2019–20 Formula E Championship.
Things will be a lot more straightforward this year, and Buemi will be looking to make it a hat-trick of career wins in Berlin.
THE CHALLENGE IN BERLIN
Following six races on asphalt, the surface of the circuit of the Tempelhof Airport Circuit offers a very different challenge for the teams and drivers. In Berlin, the expansive concrete apron of the historic Tempelhof Airport, designed for planes rather than cars, will provide the stage for both races.
As a result, the racing surface is highly abrasive and key to success will be a focus on energy management as well as ensuring that tyre wear is closely monitored. Add to that the fact that it is now summer in Europe and there’s little to no shade, so the track will get pretty hot come race day.
There are plenty of places to overtake as the wide straights and sweeping turns lead into four hairpins. Envision Racing have already proven that their Jaguar-powered machine is a front-runner and if Nick Cassidy and Sébastien Buemi can handle the heat and manage the tyre wear across the circuit’s 10 varying turns, more massive points will be earned and that first win of the season might just be on the cards.
LAST TIME OUT
It's 3️⃣ podiums in 3️⃣ for Mr @NickCassidy_ ! 🤩
Drop a 👏 and congratulate him!👇 pic.twitter.com/fDZg5757nt
— Envision Racing (@Envision_Racing) April 4, 2023
What a race it was in Sao Paulo.
Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy once again made it into the knock-out phase of qualifying and ended up fifth on the grid as Formula E did its thing for the first time in Brazil.
The Kiwi claimed third place in Cape Town, and in South America ran at the front all race, refusing to give up on chasing down eventual race winner Mitch Evans in the Jaguar. In what was one of the most exciting battles of the year so far, Cassidy ended up as the meat in a Jaguar sandwich, defending from Evans’ team-mate Sam Bird in a near photo finish..
Further back, Cassidy’s Envision Racing team-mate Sébastien Buemi had a tough afternoon. The Swiss driver used all his experience to battle back from an early race setback to take 10th at the flag.
Buemi knows what it takes to win in Berlin, and Cassidy will be hunting a fourth consecutive podium finish, and just maybe, that first E-Prix victory of the season.
WHERE AND WHEN TO CATCH THE ACTION (ALL TIMES BST)
FREE PRACTICE 1
Friday 21/04 – 15:55 – 16:45
FREE PRACTICE 2
Saturday 22/04 – 07:05 – 07:55
QUALIFYING
Saturday 22/04 – 09:40 – 10:55
RACE 1
Saturday 22/04 – 14:03 – 15:30
FREE PRACTICE 3
Sunday 23/04 – 07:05 – 07:55
QUALIFYING
Sunday 23/04 – 09:40 – 10:55
RACE 2
Sunday 23/04 – 14:03 – 15:30
Follow Envision Racing at the Cape Town E-Prix and throughout the 2022–23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship HERE