The 2015 Berlin ePrix, formally known as the 2015 DHL Berlin ePrix, was a
Formula E
Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The series was conceived in 2011 in Paris by FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, who is ...
motor race
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
that took place on 23 May 2015 on the purpose-built
Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. It was the eighth round of the
2014–15 Formula E season. A special anti-clockwise track was built for the race next to the terminal building of the closed airport, including 17 turns over a distance of .
Prior to the ePrix,
Lucas di Grassi
Lucas Tucci di Grassi (born 11 August 1984) is a Brazilian professional racing driver who competes in the FIA Formula E World Championship for Mahindra Racing. He became the FIA Formula E Champion in 2016–2017, achieved three overall podium ...
was leading the Drivers' Championship by four points over
Nelson Piquet Jr.
Nelson Angelo Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior (born July 25, 1985), also known as Nelson Piquet Junior or Nelsinho Piquet, is a Brazilian stock car racing driver and former Formula One and Formula E driver where he was champion in the 2014–15 seaso ...
, while
e.dams Renault led the Teams' Championship in front of second placed
Audi Sport ABT.
Jarno Trulli
Jarno Trulli (; born 13 July 1974) is an Italian racing driver. He regularly competed in Formula One from 1997 to 2011, driving for Minardi, Prost, Jordan, Renault, Toyota, Lotus Racing and Team Lotus. His best result in the World Drivers' Cham ...
started the race from
pole position
In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the rac ...
, but eventually retired. The race was initially won by championship leader Lucas di Grassi. After di Grassi's car was found to have used a modified front wing, the victory was handed to second-placed
Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Jérôme D’Ambrosio (born 27 December 1985) is a Belgian former professional racing driver, motorsport executive and former Team Principal of Venturi Racing in Formula E.
He has previously driven for Marussia Virgin Racing and Lotus F1 in t ...
. As a result of the race, Nelson Piquet Jr. took the lead in the drivers' championship.
Background
On 11 July 2013, it was announced that the newly founded
Formula E
Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The series was conceived in 2011 in Paris by FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, who is ...
, a class of
auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
for
one-make,
single-seater
An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have thei ...
,
electrically powered racing cars, was set to race in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
on the apron of
Tempelhof airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport (german: Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof) was one of the first airports in Berlin, Germany. Situated in the south-central Berlin borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, the airport ceased operating in 2008 amid controversy, leav ...
, which was closed in October 2008. In April 2014, the race was included in the
FIA
FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used.
Fia or FIA may also refer to: People
* Fia Backst ...
's final calendar. Prior to the ePrix,
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
had visited Berlin in for the held at the
AVUS
The Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungsstraße ('Automobile traffic and training road'), known as AVUS, is a public road in Berlin, Germany. Opened in 1921, it was also used as a motor racing circuit until 1998. Today, the AVUS forms the northern par ...
highway track, a race marred by the death of Frenchman
Jean Behra
Jean Marie Behra (16 February 1921 – 1 August 1959) was a Formula One driver who raced for the Gordini, Maserati, BRM, Ferrari and Porsche teams.
Appearance and personality
Behra was small in stature, stocky, and weighed 178 pounds.''B ...
, who died in an accident during a
Formula Two
Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name retur ...
support race. Local politicians in Berlin supported the race, with the Senator for Economy, Technology and Research,
Cornelia Yzer saying that Berlin "as the capital of
electric mobility" was predestined for such an event. However, the
Senate of Berlin
The Senate of Berlin (german: Berliner Senat) is the executive body governing the city of Berlin, which at the same time is a States of Germany, state of Germany. According to the the Senate consists of the Governing Mayor of Berlin and up to t ...
did not agree to the organiser's plea to be allowed to hold the race at the central
Straße des 17. Juni
The Straße des 17. Juni (, en, 17th of June Street), is a street in central Berlin, the capital of Germany. Its name refers to the 1953 East German uprising, 17 June 1953 uprising in East Germany. It is the western continuation of the boule ...
street overlooking the
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One ...
.
Coming into the race from
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
two weeks earlier,
Lucas di Grassi
Lucas Tucci di Grassi (born 11 August 1984) is a Brazilian professional racing driver who competes in the FIA Formula E World Championship for Mahindra Racing. He became the FIA Formula E Champion in 2016–2017, achieved three overall podium ...
(
Audi Sport ABT) was leading the championship with 93 points, four ahead of his compatriot
Nelson Piquet Jr.
Nelson Angelo Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior (born July 25, 1985), also known as Nelson Piquet Junior or Nelsinho Piquet, is a Brazilian stock car racing driver and former Formula One and Formula E driver where he was champion in the 2014–15 seaso ...
(
NEXTEV TCR). Another six points adrift, third placed
Sébastien Buemi
Sébastien Olivier Buemi (born 31 October 1988) is a Swiss professional racing driver, who competes in the FIA Formula E Championship for Envision Racing. He competed for Scuderia Toro Rosso in Formula One from 2009 to 2011. After leaving Formula ...
(
e.dams Renault) was the only driver who scored two victories over the course of the season, but less consistent outings prevented him from placing higher up in the standings. In the teams' championship, e.dams Renault on 160 points had a 45-point lead over Audi Sport ABT.
The circuit
The anti-clockwise circuit was designed by Rodrigo Nunes, featuring 17 corners.
It was described as a "twisty and challenging circuit" by Formula E driver
Nick Heidfeld
Nick Lars Heidfeld (born 10 May 1977) is a German professional racing driver.
Despite scoring regular podium finishes in with Williams Grand Prix Engineering, Williams, and in and with BMW in Formula One, BMW Sauber, Heidfeld never won a rac ...
(
Venturi), who also stated that "overtaking will not be easy" due to the nature of the course.
Construction of the track started 14 May, nine days prior to the race.
World record
Between qualifying and the race, a new world record was set for the largest parade of electric vehicles, when 577 cars and scooters took to the track. The parade surpassed the previous record set in September 2014 in
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Report
All sessions took place on Saturday, 23 May 2015,
in contrast to Formula One, where all sessions are divided up over a three- to four-day period.
Free practice
![Formel E in Berlin 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Formel_E_in_Berlin_2.JPG)
Two free practice sessions were held before qualifying, running for 45 and 30 minutes respectively.
The first session started at 08:15 local time, with Sébastien Buemi topping the timesheets for
e.dams-Renault in a time of 1:23.158.
The track got faster as the temperatures rose and more cars drove around the circuit; lap times improved by more than a second in the second session, which started at 10:30. This time, it was championship leader Lucas di Grassi who topped the timesheets with a lap time of 1:22.032.
Qualifying
In contrast to other racing series such as Formula One, Formula E has a specific qualifying mode, in which the twenty drivers are divided up into four groups, leaving enough space on track for everyone to produce lap times without interference by other drivers. Each group had ten minutes on track and the fastest time of each driver determined the grid position. A lottery determined which drivers started in which group. With five-minute breaks between the groups, qualifying had an overall length of 55 minutes.
Racing veteran
Jarno Trulli
Jarno Trulli (; born 13 July 1974) is an Italian racing driver. He regularly competed in Formula One from 1997 to 2011, driving for Minardi, Prost, Jordan, Renault, Toyota, Lotus Racing and Team Lotus. His best result in the World Drivers' Cham ...
(
Trulli GP
Trulli GP (officially Trulli Formula E Team) was a Swiss motor racing team founded by former Formula One driver and Monaco Grand Prix winner Jarno Trulli to compete in the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship for electric cars. The team competed ...
) started in the first group, as qualifying began at 12:00, and posted a strong time of 1:21.547 early in the session, being the first to lap the course in under 1:22. Also in the group was Nelson Piquet Jr. – second in the championship – who ultimately managed only 13th place on the grid. As qualifying progressed, championship leader Lucas di Grassi and Monaco winner Sébastien Buemi came close to beating Trulli's time, but proved unable to do so, handing Trulli a surprising
pole position
In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the rac ...
, his first in Formula E.
Race
A special feature of Formula E was the "Fan Boost" feature, an additional of power to use for five seconds during the race. The three drivers, who were allowed to use the boost, were determined by a fan vote.
For the Berlin race, Nelson Piquet Jr., Sébastien Buemi and
Charles Pic
Charles Pic (; born 15 February 1990) is a retired professional racing driver who drove in Formula One for two full seasons in and , racing for Marussia F1 Team in the first season and then for Caterham in the second season.
Early career
Karti ...
(NEXTEV TCR) were handed the extra power. For Piquet, it was the third boost in a row, while both Buemi and Pic were able to use it for the first time.
![Formula E - Berlin 2015 - Daniel Abt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Formula_E_-_Berlin_2015_-_Daniel_Abt.jpg)
At the start of the race, Lucas di Grassi challenged Jarno Trulli for the lead, but Trulli closed the racing line into turn one. As Trulli lost the rear end of the car going into turn three, di Grassi took the lead. The other Audi Sport Abt of
Daniel Abt
Daniel Johannes Abt (born 3 December 1992) is a German former racing driver. He has competed in such series as the German Formula Three Championship, the GP3 Series, the GP2 Series, and won the 2009 ADAC Formel Masters championship. He competed i ...
was less fortunate, being sent into a spin at the same corner, dropping to the back of the field. Nelson Piquet Jr. immediately made up for ground lost in qualifying, gaining three positions during the first lap, running in tenth place. At turn six on the following lap, he went past
Stéphane Sarrazin
Stéphane Jean-Marc Sarrazin (born 2 November 1975) is a French professional racing driver. He has won races across a number of single-seater, sportscar and rallying disciplines and competitions, was French Formula Renault champion in 1994, and ...
(Venturi) for ninth. While di Grassi built an early lead, several manoeuvres were made behind him, with
Nicolas Prost
Nicolas "Nico" Jean Prost (born 18 August 1981) is a French professional racing driver. He most recently raced in the FIA Formula E Championship before quitting the series. Also, he was a longstanding racer in the FIA World Endurance Championship ...
(e.dams-Renault) losing two positions to
Jérôme d'Ambrosio
Jérôme D’Ambrosio (born 27 December 1985) is a Belgian former professional racing driver, motorsport executive and former Team Principal of Venturi Racing in Formula E.
He has previously driven for Marussia Virgin Racing and Lotus F1 in t ...
(
Dragon Racing
Dragon Racing (formerly Luczo-Dragon Racing) is an American auto racing team that is involved in many areas of motorsport. Dragon Racing was founded in 2007 by Jay Penske and Stephen J. Luczo. The team competed in the IndyCar Series from 200 ...
) and
Vitantonio Liuzzi
Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi (born 6 August 1980) is an Italian professional racing driver who formerly raced in Formula One for the Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Force India and HRT teams.
Karting
Born in Locorotondo, BA, Apulia, Liuzzi, like many au ...
(Trulli GP), dropping back to seventh. Pole sitter Jarno Trulli looked to be in trouble with his car and lost positions continuously, running in thirteenth after lap twelve. Third placed Nick Heidfeld was also unable to hold onto his podium position, being overtaken by d'Ambrosio on lap thirteen.
![Formula E - Berlin 2015 - Loic Duval](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Formula_E_-_Berlin_2015_-_Loic_Duval.jpg)
The mandatory pit stops, during which all drivers needed to change into a second car,
started on lap 17. Everyone came in at this point except the two NEXTEV TCR drivers Piquet and Charles Pic. D'Ambrosio managed to get ahead of Buemi into second place thanks to swift work from his crew. Piquet benefited from his late stop by moving ahead into eighth after everyone had pitted and having more power left to use towards the end of the race. Heidfeld ran into additional trouble during the second half of the race, losing two positions during the final laps to both
Loïc Duval
Loïc Duval (; born 12 June 1982) is a French professional racing driver racing for Audi Sport as a factory driver in DTM and driving for Dragon Racing in Formula E. He won the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans with Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen driv ...
(Dragon Racing) and the fast running Piquet, who managed to finish fifth from thirteenth on the grid, even closing on Duval on the final lap. Meanwhile, di Grassi won comfortably from d'Ambrosio, the gap being more than twelve seconds.
Post-race
After the chequered flag fell, Lucas di Grassi's car stopped on the way back to pit lane.
Once his car returned to
parc fermé
''Parc fermé'', literally meaning "closed park" in French, is a secure area at a motor racing circuit wherein the cars are driven back to the pits post- and sometimes pre-race.
Area
For example, according to the FIA Formula One regulations, th ...
, it failed post-race scrutineering, and was found to have a modified front wing, leading to his disqualification. This meant that Jérôme d'Ambrosio was handed his first Formula E victory, moving him into fifth place in the drivers' championship. Nelson Piquet Jr. recovered from his "dismal" qualifying performance to finish an eventual fourth, taking the championship lead.
While e.dams Renault retained their lead in the teams' championship, the strong result for the Dragon Racing squad meant they moved up into second.
The Abt team decided not to appeal the decision against Di Grassi, while emphasizing that the front wing did not lead to a performance advantage. Di Grassi himself responded on
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
, writing: "They are trying to make me win this championship in the hard mode. Don't worry, we will be back to kick some Piquet and Buemi ass on track."
D'Ambrosio was delighted with the result, commenting: "It was a great weekend for us overall. I think in the last four races we've had the pace to be on the podium but we didn't always manage to put it all together in the race.
..This time we did it and it paid off!" He however added regret about the fact that he and the team were unable to celebrate the win and a double podium at the respective ceremony.
Classification
Qualifying
Race
![Lucas di Grassi, Abt, Berlin ePrix](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Lucas_di_Grassi%2C_Abt%2C_Berlin_ePrix.JPG)
;Notes:
* – Two points for fastest lap.
* –
Karun Chandhok
Karun Chandhok (born 19 January 1984) is an Indian racing driver and television presenter who last competed in Formula E for Mahindra Racing. Previously, Chandhok has competed for Hispania Racing in Formula One in . Before this, he drove in the ...
received a drive through penalty converted into a 28 second time penalty for exceeding maximum power usage.
* – Three points for pole position.
* – Excluded from race for non-standardised components.
Standings after the race
Drivers or teams listed in bold were still able to take their respective titles.
;Drivers' Championship standings
;Teams' Championship standings
*
Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
See also
*
Sport in Berlin
Berlin is a major sporting centre in Germany and Europe. In 2013 around 600.000 Berliners were registered in more than 2.300 amateur sports- and fitness clubs.
Berlin has established a high-profile reputation as a host city of international spor ...
References
External links
*
Official results
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2015 Monaco ePrix
The 2015 Monaco ePrix was a Formula E motor race held on 9 May 2015 on the Circuit de Monaco, a street circuit in Monte Carlo, Monaco. It was the seventh championship race of the single-seater, electrically powered racing car series' inaugura ...
, width="30%",
FIA Formula E
Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The series was conceived in 2011 in Paris by FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, who is ...
Championship
2014–15 season
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2015 Moscow ePrix
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N/A
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Berlin ePrix
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2016 Berlin ePrix
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{{FIA Formula E Championship
Berlin ePrix
Berlin ePrix
ePrix
2015 in Berlin