Tag: berlin

LATEST NEWS

Classy Cassidy wins for Envision Racing in Germany!

23 April 2023

NICK CASSIDY SCORES MAXIMUM POINTS AFTER A WILD SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN BERLIN TO UNDERLINE HIS FORMULA E TITLE CHALLENGE

In a second manic race of the weekend in Berlin, Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy absorbed immense late-race pressure to win the team’s first race of the season, and seal his second career win.

It seemed that in both of the weekend’s races nobody wanted to lead, preferring to play a waiting game. This wasn’t Cassidy’s plan for a Sunday afternoon drive. The Envision Racing driver combined canny energy saving with supreme speed and defensive driving, hitting the front for the final 10 laps, and withstanding a strong challenge from Jake Dennis to claim a well-deserved victory. 

Crucially, the result propels Cassidy to within four points of the Drivers’ Championship summit, and helps consolidate Envision Racing’s second place in the Teams’ Championship standings.

For Cassidy’s team-mate Sébastien Buemi, there was little to celebrate on Sunday afternoon in the German capital. Despite a strong qualifying performance and a solid opening phase to the race, any hopes of big points came to an end with front wing damage.

The Swiss driver will look to get back on track next time out on the streets of Monaco.

QUALIFYING

Drivers were faced with a wet track following a period of heavy rain in the German capital for the second qualifying session of the weekend. Under grey skies, for the second consecutive day, both Envision Racing pilots went out on the slippery concrete in the same qualifying group, and both Buemi and Cassidy made it through to the duels, with the former topping the time sheets.

In a repeat of qualifying for the opening race of the weekend, both drivers were paired together for the quarter-final duel. With the rain increasing, this time Cassidy beat his team-mate in another close battle to make it into the semi-finals.

Cassidy’s joy was short-lived. The New Zealander’s winning lap time was cancelled due to an overuse of power, handing a consecutive semi-final appearance to Buemi, who would face-off against the ABT of Robin Frijns. And it was Frijns who prevailed, meaning that Buemi would start Sunday’s race in third, with Cassidy starting eighth. 

RACE

The rain which impacted qualifying for part two of the Berlin E-Prix had been replaced by a dry track, sunny skies and a light wind. When the lights went out to start round eight of the 2022–23 Formula E World Championship, Buemi held onto third position behind the two ABT cars as the field funnelled around the opening corners.

Buemi hit the lead as the ABT duo elected to take an early Attack Mode on lap four, followed by Jean-Éric Vergne. Buemi decided he didn’t want to lead so early on, and activated his first Attack Mode on lap five, dropping to fifth as team-mate Cassidy held ninth position in the opening laps.

By quarter distance, on lap 10, Buemi found himself in sixth, having taken a second Attack Mode with Cassidy just behind. This order didn’t last long as the Kiwi diver made his way around Buemi.

One lap later, Cassidy was up to fifth, followed by Buemi in sixth. The Envision Racing pair followed closely by the two Jaguar Racing machines. Cassidy soon escaped from both his team-mate’s attentions, moving up to third on lap 12.

By the next lap it was all change, with Cassidy and Buemi battling each other, with the latter moving into fourth, with Cassidy dropping to sixth. In what was proving to be a manic squabble amongst the top 10 cars, Buemi emerged at the head of the pack, pursued by championship leader Pascal Wehrlein.

In an E-Prix more closely resembling an IndyCar oval race with the sheer number of lead and position changes, it was Wehrlein to the front on lap 17, with the two Envision Racing cars, headed by Buemi, following in second and third place.

At the halfway point, Envision Racing were running line astern with Cassidy in sixth and Buemi in fifth, amid the chaotic position changes and jockeying for position throughout the top 10. That formation flying didn’t last as Buemi succumbed to front wing damage, forcing the Envision Racing driver to pit.

As Buemi exited, Cassidy pulled off a superb move at the Attack Mode hairpin to leap from fifth to third on lap 24. Third soon became second, and by the end of the lap, Cassidy was leading from Wehrlein.

With relative calm established for the first time all afternoon, Cassidy, with 17 overtakes in the bag, maintained the lead from Jake Dennis and Vergne, as the race approached the final 10 laps. 

Entering the final five laps of the E-Prix, Cassidy came under increasing pressure from Dennis, as the top six closed up once more. Crucially, with three laps remaining, Dennis carried one per cent more energy than Cassidy. But could the British driver break the Envision Racing man’s resistance?

The answer was no, and Cassidy managed to hold on to score a stunning victory on the concrete in Berlin to truly establish himself as a championship contender, as the team look towards the glamour of Monte Carlo for the Monaco E-Prix, and another race win.

“I knew that I would be in the fight for the win, I’ve been in the fight for the last five races,” said Cassidy.

“We had a great opportunity in the first race as well, but I made a mistake, and today we really made it count. The team have given me an opportunity to win pretty much every weekend and as a driver that’s a dream.”

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 8):
1. Pascal Wehrlein, 100pts
2. Nick Cassidy, 96pts
3. Jean-Éric Vergne, 81pts
4. Jake Dennis, 80pts
5. Mitch Evans, 76pts
8. Sébastien Buemi, 57pts

Teams’ standings (after Rd 8):
1. Porsche Formula E Team, 168pts
2. Envision Racing, 153pts
3. Jaguar Racing, 138pts
4. DS Penske, 107pts
5. Avalanche Andretti, 103pts

LATEST NEWS

Double points as Cassidy pulls off fight-back to finish fourth after Buemi grabs record pole

22 April 2023

ENVISION RACING EMERGED FROM A DRAMATIC OPENING RACE IN BERLIN WITH A SOLID POINTS HAUL AND FRONT-RUNNING PACE  

In qualifying for the Berlin E-Prix, Envision Racing’s Sébastien Buemi made history and beat them all, scoring a record breaking 16th career pole position, more than any other driver in the history of the series.

In the race, the Swiss driver ran at the front until the final laps, being forced to settle for fourth, after losing out on a podium in a near photo finish.

For Buemi’s team-mate Nick Cassidy it was a case of what might have been. Fresh from a podium finish last time out in Brazil, the New Zealander recovered from a mid-race pit-stop to repair damage to come from last to fifth at the flag, and recover some vital championship points to ensure he sits second in the Drivers’ Championship standings ahead of the weekend’s second race. 

QUALIFYING

Both Envision Racing drivers hit the track in qualifying Group A and immediately showed strong pace. Running near the top of the times throughout the opening session, Buemi ended up second with Cassidy third, ensuring that both would make another appearance in the knock-out phase of qualifying.

After a brief pause, it was time for the duels. The first quarter final consisted of an all Envision Racing battle, with Buemi taking on Cassidy. After a hotly contested lap, it was Buemi who emerged quickest, and subsequently progressed to the semi-finals, beating Cassidy in a close battle, meaning the Kiwi racer would have to settle for a solid sixth.

In the first semi-final, Buemi took on reigning champion Stoffel Vandoorne. After a tight head-to-head, the Envision Racing driver triumphed, proving to be quicker than the DS Penske driver, ensuring a front row start and his second final appearance this season.

The final saw an all-Jaguar-powered draw as Buemi took on Sam Bird. The Swiss driver immediately established his authority in the early part of his lap, surging to a second pole position of the season.

THE RACE  

On the baking hot concrete apron of Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport, under Berlin’s bright blue skies, Buemi lost out to a rapid-starting Dan Ticktum, relegating the polesitter to second, as Cassidy followed his team-mate, losing one position, and dropping to seventh on the opening lap.

Buemi elected to take an early Attack Mode on lap five, dropping to fourth, as Bird cycled to the lead ahead of Jake Dennis and Ticktum. One lap later it was all change as Bird took his first Attack Mode of the afternoon, allowing Buemi to retake second place.

By lap eight, Buemi found himself in fourth, behind Vandoorne, the man he beat in qualifying. Further back, Cassidy found himself in a multi-car battle with the likes of Pascal Wehrlein and the two McLarens.

In what was shaping up to be a thrilling Berlin E-Prix, the Maserati of Edoardo Mortara briefly led on lap 12, losing out to Dennis, before a safety car was called to clear up debris from a collision between Rene Rast and Sérgio Sette Câmara. With the pace slowed, Buemi held third, the Envision Racing driver clearly adopting a waiting game in the first half of the race.

By the halfway point of the E-Prix it all started to come together for Envision Racing. Buemi found himself in the lead, whilst Cassidy made his way up from 11th to seventh, seemingly with damage.  

As Buemi lost the lead to Mitch Evans a four-car coming together, featuring early-race leader Ticktum, Vaandorne, Norman Nato and Rast, triggered a second safety car. Significantly, as the race was neutralised, Cassidy was forced to pit to deal with some damage, dropping the Kiwi to the back of the pack.

At the restart, on lap 23, Buemi quickly snatched the lead from Evans, who in turn was passed by Maximilian Günther, who then passed the leading Envision Racing machine to hit the front. It was all change two laps later as Buemi dropped to fourth, then fifth, but remained in the hunt with strong energy figures.

By lap 27 it was a Jaguar-powered top three, with Evans leading Bird and Buemi, as for the first time in the weekend’s opening race, the field started to spread out slightly. A lap later that order was shuffled as Buemi cycled to the lead once more and pulled away from Bird. Approaching the final 10 laps it was Bird’s turn to lead from Buemi as the focus on remaining energy intensified. 

As the race entered its closing laps, Buemi’s quest for the victory also intensified. The Envision Racing man started feigning to overtake leader Bird, and eventually made his move for the lead on lap 36, successfully claiming the lead ahead of the two Jaguar cars. Whilst all eyes were on Buemi, his team-mate Cassidy was driving superbly, recovering from his earlier mishap to run in ninth with vital championship points on the cards.

With three laps added to the initial 40-lap race distance it was all to play for in a four-car battle for the win. Starting lap 40, Buemi was forced to defend from Bird, and then from Evans as the Jaguars swapped places and held each other up, allowing Günther to join the fight.

Evans quickly surged into the lead, passing Buemi and placing him in the crosshairs of team-mate Bird. By the time the final lap came around, Buemi was under intense pressure from Bird, forcing the Envision Racing driver to call upon all his defensive driving experience.

Buemi’s valiant defence ended on the final lap, as Bird snatched second. In what proved to be a frustrating lap for the pole-sitter, Buemi was passed by Günther on the line to end up fourth. As Evans made it two wins in a row ahead of Bird and Günther, Cassidy capped an incredible comeback drive to end up fifth and will look to a less frantic second race of the weekend to underline his title challenge.

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 7):
1. Pascal Wehrlein, 94pts
2. Nick Cassidy, 71pts
3. Jean-Éric Vergne, 66pts
4. Mitch Evans, 64pts
5. Jake Dennis, 62pts
8. Sébastien Buemi, 57pts

Teams’ standings (after Rd 7):
1. Porsche Formula E Team, 152pts
2. Envision Racing, 128pts
3. Jaguar Racing, 126pts
4. DS Penske, 88pts
5. Avalanche Andretti, 85pts

LATEST NEWS

Crucial Berlin double-header awaits Envision Racing’s title challengers

17 April 2023

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

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

LATEST NEWS

STREETWISE FRIJNS FIGHTS FROM 21ST to 12TH BUT CAN’T CLAIM MAIDEN TITLE

15 August 2021

ENVISION RACING LEAVE BERLIN EMPTY-HANDED BUT KEEP UP THE FORMULA E TITLE FIGHT RIGHT UNTIL THE END

The curtain came down on the 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with the Envision Racing team starting Round 15 on the apron of Berlin’s Tempelhof airport at the rear of the grid and both the Team’s and Driver’s title hopes realistically out of reach.

Heading into the Berlin race weekend the team were in a good place. Despite not having won an E-Prix in 2021, both drivers were in contention for the title, and Envision Racing actually headed the Team’s championship with Frijns just six points off top spot of the Driver’s standings as the teams touched down in Germany.

Underlining how quickly fortunes can vary in the rollercoaster world of Formula E, Robin Frijns’ title aspirations looked a long way away as the Dutch driver started the final race of the season in 21st place, just three slots ahead of team-mate Nick Cassidy, but Frijns has proved that a less than ideal qualifying is no barrier to bagging serious points.

All season long, due to him qualifying in Q1 and therefore generally being disadvantaged by unfavourable track conditions, Frijns has registered an average qualifying position of 17th, yet he’s scored points in seven of the 11 races this season. Truth is, you can never count out Frijns with his canny racecraft and ability to save energy…but even ‘Professor’ Frijns couldn’t make up the positions required to win the championship in Germany.

However, as the season finale got underway it looked as though all was not immediately lost for Frijns as three title contenders were wiped out of contention. Firstly, a violent start line crash brought out the red flag as Edoardo Mortara ploughed into the stationary Jaguar of Mitch Evans and at the restart on the reversed Tempelhof layout there was more drama as title hopeful Jake Dennis suffered a huge off at turn one triggering a full course yellow.

Doing his best to make the most of a tricky situation, Frijns did what he has been doing best this season, and with 15 minutes remaining had moved up to 14th from 21st. With 13 minutes left a safety car triggered by a collision between Lucas di Grassi and reigning champion António Félix da Costa closed up the field with Norman Nato leading, Oliver Rowland and Stoffel Vandoorne and the action up front was relentless, but for Frijns the front of the field was just out of reach.

After a brutal 45 minutes plus one lap of the unforgiving Berlin Tempelhof track former champion hopeful Frijns ended up an impressive 12th, underlining his season-long knack of fighting through the field and never giving up. Further forward a dramatic multi car dash for the win saw Nato hang on to win as de Vries claimed his maiden Formula E crown.

“It has been difficult to find the right direction this weekend,” stated Frijns. “It has been painful for everybody in the team as everyone has worked really hard, especially coming to Berlin leading the championship. But we just couldn’t find the pace in free practice or qualifying. However, generally speaking over the course of the season we have been consistent and competitive – we’ve had ups and downs, but we will be back stronger and try again next season.”

Frijns’ team-mate Nick Cassidy endured a hard slog at the back of the field, ending up in 17th, but the Kiwi can look back on a rookie Formula E season that has yielded two podium finishes and two pole positions and his racing stock has risen considerably.

“Generally I feel that I’ve shown so much potential with strong pace in qualifying and the races, but I could’ve done better in terms of results,” revealed Cassidy. “The car has been great and I’m really proud of the guys in the team and everyone at Envision Racing, but I am annoyed and frustrated as I think we could have achieved more.“

Reflecting upon the season and the final two races, Envision Racing’s Managing Director & CTO Sylvain Filippi said: “It has been a challenging weekend for us. We struggled to find the pace on this track and didn’t score any points as a result. And, of course, with the championship being so tight this has made a huge difference in the standings and we lost our lead in the championship. However, we have learned some valuable lessons here and the result does not detract from the tremendous job that the team has done this year.

“This season has been a rollercoaster and the most unpredictable yet in the history of Formula E. We keep learning and evolving, we have a competitive car and a fantastic team that I am so proud of, so I am looking forward to Season 8 which I am sure will deliver even more fantastic racing!”

Franz Jung, Vice President at Envision Group and Chairman of the Board for the Envision Racing team commented: “I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone at Envision Racing for their continued hard work this season. As an independent team, to finish the season in such a strong position and to have been in with a chance of winning both championships right up until the final two races is a great achievement.”

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 15):
1. Nyck de Vries 99pts
2. Edoardo Mortara, 92pts
3. Jake Dennis, 91pts
4. Mitch Evans, 90pts
5. Robin Frijns, 89pts
15. Nick Cassidy, 76pts

Teams’ standings (after Rd 15):
1. Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, 183pts
2. Jaguar Racing, 172pts
3. DS Techeetah, 170pts
4. Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, 165pts
5. Envision Racing, 165pts

LATEST NEWS

TITLE HOPES STILL ALIVE IN BERLIN DESPITE NO POINTS IN FIRST RACE

14 August 2021

ENVISION RACING’S ROBIN FRIJNS DID PLENTY OF OVERTAKING IN BERLIN’S ROUND 14 AND WILL START THE SEASON FINALE JUST 6 POINTS OFF THE TOP

Under blue skies in Berlin the penultimate round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship kicked off with 18 drivers mathematically in contention for the title, including both Envision Racing drivers Robin Frijns and Nick Cassidy.

45 minutes and one lap of the Berlin Tempelhof circuit later, Frijns’ ended a heroic bid for points, recovering from a difficult qualifying session to finish 16th after starting 23rd and running as high as 13th mid-race. Despite scoring no points Frijns is still in the title hunt heading into Sunday’s championship finale and will start Round 15 in Berlin fifth in the standings, just six points off top spot.

Similarly, Envision Racing started the weekend at the top of the Team’s standings and despite being knocked off the summit following the first race in Berlin still look strong and will start the final race of the season in third place and just six points behind new leaders Jaguar Racing.

Frijns’ Envision Racing’s team-mate Cassidy ended qualifying for race one in a creditable 13th place from the Q2 group and by the end of lap one was in 11th, where he would remain for several laps, as the field proceeded with caution, with little overtaking or contact, headed by Jean Eric Vergne.

With 35 minutes remaining, Cassidy slipped back to 14th as team-mate Frijns started to move forward. This season Robin Frijns has made a name for himself as a man who can fight his way through the field, and those attributes needed to be front and centre in Berlin.

Blaming his lowly grid position on a small mistake in qualifying, Frijns played a waiting game during the opening laps, holding station at the rear of the pack and saving energy.

With 32 minutes remaining a safety car was deployed due to Sam Bird’s stricken Jaguar and Frijns found himself up in 16th place. When racing got back underway the prospect of points was a distinct possibility for the Envision Racing driver.

A points paying result for Frijns looked an even closer possibility with 20 minutes remaining. The Dutchman ghosted into 13th place as early leader Vergne slid backwards through the field with the two Audi cars moving to the front with Lucas di Grassi leading team-mate René Rast in the German manufacturer’s final Formula E weekend.

Audi’s one-two didn’t last long as the two Venturi cars cycled to the front with Edoardo Mortara leading as further back Frijns hunted down Sébastien Buemi only to have his progress baulked by a pass from Alex Lynn.

Entering the final ten minutes, both Envision Racing machines were line astern in 15th and 16th, with Cassidy activating his Attack Mode and leading Frijns. Cassidy soon moved up into 14th, showing strong late race pace and at the chequered flag Frijns found himself once again one place behind team-mate Cassidy with the pair finishing 14th and 15th respectively. At the front di Grassi took the victory by a car’s length ahead of Mortara with Mitch Evans in third place.

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 14):
1. Nyck de Vries 95pts
2. Edoardo Mortara, 92pts
3. Jake Dennis, 91pts
4. Mitch Evans, 90pts
5. Robin Frijns, 89pts
11. Nick Cassidy, 76pts

Teams’ standings (after Rd 14):
1. Jaguar Racing, 171pts
2. DS Techeetah, 166pts
3. Envision Racing, 165pts
4. Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, 162pts
5. Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, 158pts

LATEST NEWS

ENVISION RACING ALL SET FOR A FORMULA E TITLE SHOWDOWN IN BERLIN

10 August 2021

The Berlin E-Prix promises to be one of the most manic finales in top-level motorsport history with the Drivers’ crown and the Teams’ title within reach for Robin Frijns, Nick Cassidy and Envision Racing

The 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has been an absolute rollercoaster ride. With two races remaining at Berlin’s historic Tempelhof airport it is a good time to be a mathematician as, with a maximum of 50 points up for grabs, no fewer than 17 drivers are mathematically in contention for the Drivers’ Championship.

Envision Racing find themselves at the top of the Teams’ standings, and in the Drivers’ Championship just 15 points separate the top five with Robin Frijns sitting in second place, just six points behind the championship leader and fellow Dutchman Nyck de Vries. In seventh place is Frijns’ Kiwi team-mate Nick Cassidy enters the final weekend of the championship just 19 points off the top spot.

It is safe to say that the final weekend of the 2020/21 Formula E season will be one of the most hotly contested events in recent motorsport memory. Both Frijns and Cassidy could be world champions and help Envision Racing win the Teams’ title without having scored an E-Prix victory all year.

Frijns has already stated he doesn’t mind if he wins an E-Prix or not en route to a maiden Formula E title. The unflappable and experienced Dutch driver will not be phased by the pressure (and potential chaos) of the Berlin E-Prix as he looks to come out on top in the German capital.

“It is going to be a pretty intense weekend”, said Frijns. “It is great to be second in the Drivers’ championship with only the two races to go, but it is so close that anything could happen in Berlin. I enjoy the circuit and have done well in the past there, but a lot will depend on qualifying and how we get on going out again in Q1 for the first race. If I can get some big points, we will be looking good.

“It is also good to be heading the Teams’ championship and obviously the ideal scenario would be to win both, but everything is still to play for. We’ll give it our best shot and, if Nick and me can get some good points for the team, we will hopefully leave Berlin as champions.”

 

TOP OF THE TEAMS WITH TWO RACES LEFT

They might have scored no victories this season, but Envision Racing’s winless wonders Robin Frijns and Nick Cassidy, backed up by a team that Frijns described as a “very talented, dedicated team who are doing a phenomenal job,” are right at the front.

In what has been a completely unpredictable season, the team find themselves seven points ahead of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team who have a hat-trick of E-Prix wins, and it is likely that nobody will know who the new Teams’ champions are until every car has crossed the finish line on Sunday… and it might even be a few hours later until all is confirmed.

“We are excited to head to Berlin in such a good position in the standings”, said Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director and CTO at Envision Racing. “Every detail matters in Formula E, every marginal gain counts; and this result is testament to all the hard work, dedication, and talent of the whole team, on and off the track. Our team is the best it has ever been, and I am really proud of the tremendous job they have done this season, no matter what happens in Berlin.

“But we cannot, and will not, rest on our laurels. Formula E is unpredictable by nature – both championships are really close and nobody can predict what will happen in Berlin, but it is for sure going to be a fiercely competitive weekend. So we will maintain our focus and work our hardest and keep fighting for the championship until the very last second.”

Teams’ standings (after Rd 13):

1. Envision Racing, 165pts
2. Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, 158pts
3. Jaguar Racing, 156pts
4. DS Techeetah, 148pts
5 BMW i Andretti Motorsport, 142pts

 

TWO DRIVERS IN THE TOP 7

Predicting this season’s Formula E championship has been like nailing jelly to the wall. The qualification format has resulted in the respective championship front runners qualifying first and generally disadvantaging them in terms of grid position.

Despite not winning a race in 2021, Frijns in particular has been masterful in his ability to fight from the back of the pack and pick up points, surviving collisions and coming home in a calculated and mature way.

But if Robin Frijns has been the wise owl of Formula E in 2021, then team-mate Nick Cassidy has been the dark horse and the season’s breakout success story.

From the Envision Racing camp all eyes have been on Frijns as a title contender, but after a memorable weekend in Mexico back in June, rookie Cassidy kicked off a chain of results that have built an unlikely title challenge.

It all started from the pits of despair with a severely damaged car in race one at the Puebla E-Prix. But following a heroic overnight rebuild from the Envision Racing team, Cassidy went out in race two and finished a superb second place. Since then, he has been showing great pace in qualifying and combining it with strong race craft to upset the established order in Formula E.

“I am really happy to go to Berlin with a chance to win the championship, especially in my rookie year, and have a genuine shot at the title. It is more than I anticipated and has exceeded my own expectations”, commented Cassidy. “However, I am a racing driver and I want to win, so am still focussed on achieving the best results I can this weekend. Overall, I think we’ve had great momentum in the last few rounds so I’ll look to continue like that and build on it. If we can keep up the great teamwork we’ve had until now, maintain our focus, and execute the way we know we can, we’ll definitely be in with a shot.

“Berlin is a challenging track, especially with the reversed layout. Qualifying will be important, but there are places to overtake, and we have a quick car and good pace both in qualifying and race, so bring it on.”

Drivers’ standings (after Rd 13):

1. Nyck de Vries 95pts
2. Robin Frijns, 89pts
3. Sam Bird, 81pts
4. Jake Dennis, 81pts
5. António Félix da Costa, 80pts
6. Alex Lynn, 78pts
7. Nick Cassidy, 76pts

 

QUALIFYING WILL BE KEY

The 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has arguably been defined by the qualifying format.

With the top six in the championship standings qualifying first, and therefore generally disadvantaged in terms of favourable track conditions, it is unlikely that Frijns will start near the front of the field.

There is a good chance he will have to call on his season-defining skills of battling through the pack and making finely balanced overtakes to move forward and outscore his championship rivals.

Cassidy, however, will qualify in the Q2 group as he holds seventh in the Drivers’ Championship order. This could provide a chance for a decent grid position and to bag some solid points for the team, himself and maybe help team-mate Frijns in the process.

What will happen on Sunday in qualifying and the race is anyone’s guess….

 

THE BERLIN TEMPELHOF CIRCUIT

Once again, the season finale will take place on the giant apron section of the architecturally spectacular Berlin Tempelhof Airport, and there is nothing straight forward about the two races that will bring the curtain down on Season 7.

Last year Berlin hosted six thrilling races to end the season as Antonio Felix da Costa also secured his first-ever title in a season hugely impacted by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Now in 2021 drivers will be faced with two circuits over two days on the high-grip concrete, with the pack tackling the traditional anti-clockwise layout before it shifts direction for the very final race of the 2020/21 season.

The circuit meanders its way around the giant apron section of Tempelhof Airport where numerous strategy calls will be implemented and drivers will be fighting for the Teams’ and Drivers’ titles right up until the chequered flag is waved on Sunday afternoon.

 

MEMORABLE BERLIN MOMENTS

 

HOW TO WATCH

For full details and timings, please click here: https://www.fiaformulae.com/watch/ways-to-watch

You can do more than just watch – you can also play your part in helping the team by voting for Nick Cassidy and Robin Frijns on FanBoost here: https://fanboost.fiaformulae.com/