After the third and fourth place achieved in Monaco a fortnight ago, Vandoorne and Vergne arrived in Berlin with the firm intention of scoring another good haul of points. And they succeeded, already in the first race!
It is true that the two Team DS Penske drivers know the track well, given that Berlin is the only city that has been part of the championship calendar since its inception. This time, however, the route traced by the organizers is new: 2.3 km long and with 15 curves, the Berlin circuit also has the unusual characteristic of being covered in “track” type concrete.
“This new track represents a challenge for both the drivers and the entire team, and I am pleased that we managed to overcome it”, comments Eugenio Franzetti, Director of DS Performance, who carefully prepares the electric single-seaters for the DS Penske team.
“As the surface of this circuit is the most abrasive of the season, we not only have to manage the energy of the batteries, but also the wear of the tyres. It is on this basis that our drivers worked on the development of their DS E -TENSE FE23, which then led to the magnificent level of performance we saw today.”
Stoffel Vandoorne, DS Penske, DS E-Tense FE23
Photo by: DR
The DS E-TENSE FE23 on the track
Vandoorne recorded a number of good times in practice. Vergne also placed in the top 10, even ahead of his teammate (fifth) in the second session. The two DS Penske drivers are undeniably up to the task on the Berlin track, as qualifying started with a good time. Having both qualified for the quarter-finals after the group stages, Vergne and Vandoorne won their first duel and advanced to the semi-finals. While Vergne was beaten by Edoardo Mortara’s Mahindra by a tenth of a second, Vandoorne got rid of Sergio Sette Camara’s ERT. At the end the Belgian then met Mortara and the final duel went in favor of the Mahindra driver.
But with Vandoorne on the front row and Vergne close behind, DS Penske looked to be the strongest team on the grid. The only other manufacturer that managed to get both of its cars into the top 10 was Maserati.
“It’s a shame we didn’t get the three points from pole position,” commented Vandoorne. “But the car is incredible and we can be confident for the future. The important thing now is to do the best job possible for the team and try to finish on the podium.”
Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Penske, DS E-Tense FE23
Photo by: DR
A crazy race
After just three laps, the two DS Penske cars were in the lead. That’s when the teamwork began, because two drivers in this type of race can help protect their positions. But on this circuit, the Attack mode activation zone is far from the ideal trajectory and results in the loss of multiple positions.
Immediately behind, the two Porsches put the French-American cars under pressure, but they resisted. The positions changed slightly and, when the safety car came in, the gaps narrowed. At the restart, DS Penske lost a few positions, but remained in the leading group.
A few laps later, Vandoorne was unfortunately involved in a collision with several cars and lost positions again, dropping out of the top 10, but the end of the race highlighted the excellent performance of the DS E-TENSE FE23.
Since the organizers added six laps to compensate for the Safety Cars, another energy strategy was opted for. The end of the race was totally crazy, with many position changes.
Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Penske, DS E-Tense FE23
Photo by: DR
At least six drivers had a chance to win and, until the last moment, DS Penske had the chance to triumph. In the end Vergne secured second place, while Vandoorne managed to move up to seventh.
“It was a very intense race,” Vergne said immediately after the finish line. “I lacked a bit of energy, but our pace was very good and I’m very happy with this podium. It’s very reassuring for the future.”
The second race in Berlin will take place on Sunday, starting at 3.03pm local time.
Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Penske, 2nd position, Nick Cassidy, Jaguar TCS Racing, 1st position, Oliver Rowland, Nissan Formula E Team, on the podium
Photo by: DR
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