DS Penske deserved better

Hampered by suspension problems (a common issue affecting all cars) while in third place, French driver Jean-Éric Vergne was forced to retire, while Maximilian Günther finished sixth after spending most of the race in the top five.

Berlin and its legendary historic Tempelhof airport are hosting the two German rounds of the Formula E World Championship this weekend. The weather has decided to play its part, but DS Penske’s ambitions remain the same: to consolidate its third place in the championship before the final round in London. ‘The Berlin-Tempelhof circuit is one of our favourite tracks!’ said Eugenio Franzetti, director of DS Performance, the competition division of DS Automobiles that prepares the team’s race cars. ‘The main challenge is to score as many points as possible to maintain our positions before the final stretch in London in two weeks’ time. We need to keep a cool head and give our best until the end!’

For DS Automobiles, the Tempelhof circuit is a source of fond memories. The French manufacturer won a double title (Drivers’ and Constructors’) there in the 2019-2020 season. Maximilian Günther and Jean-Éric Vergne also have positive feelings about the venue after securing victories and podium finishes there, which is good for confidence. And on this Saturday in July, despite threatening skies and a tricky track, the first free practice sessions took place on dry asphalt. The competitors quickly sought out the limits on this unusual concrete surface, on a rather short but technical track. Vergne and Günther were competitive from the outset, setting the 6th and 9th fastest times respectively. The French driver even climbed to 4th place in the ‘300 kW’ mode classification, which is used in the race (whereas the qualifying and Attack modes allow drivers to race at 350 kW).

But on Saturday morning, the scene changed dramatically: heavy rain forced the race directors to cancel the second practice session. Qualifying was delayed by 40 minutes while the showers subsided. In qualifying, on a still wet track, Günther distinguished himself by coming out of Group A. A few minutes later, he was followed by JEV in Group B. The two drivers from the Franco-American team thus advanced to the quarter-finals, but the initially scheduled duels were cancelled due to another downpour. In this exceptional case – the second time since the discipline began – the group times stood, placing the DS E-Tense FE25s in 5th and 7th positions on the starting grid. The Franco-American team clearly had a chance to shine, given the pace they had shown earlier.

Maximilian Gunther, DS Penske

Photo by: DPPI

An eventful race

At 4pm, the race got underway under finally clement skies but on a still damp track. It was a godsend for the most daring drivers and the most astute strategists in terms of energy and tyre management. When the lights went out, Günther was aggressive from the start, climbing into third position, with Vergne following two places behind. The two DS Penske cars opted for different energy strategies: Günther activated his first Attack mode on the fourth lap, while Vergne waited. Then came the mandatory Pitboost sequence, the mandatory stops for recharging (which is regulatory and not necessary for the batteries), which reshuffled the deck. But the race plan for the two DS cars was smooth, allowing the two drivers to find themselves in 3rd and 4th place with ten laps to go. However, the end of the race was less happy. While Max Günther maintained his pace to finish in 6th position after a long battle at the front, Jean-Éric Vergne suffered a suspension problem (a part common to all the cars in the championship) and had to give up his dreams of a podium finish.

Tomorrow, the second race in Berlin promises a new scenario, with one less lap and, perhaps, a kinder fate for DS Penske, which retains third place in the championship.