Posted on 21st May 2016
Yesterday at the Berlin ePrix, Renault e.Dams Sebastien Buemi won the Berlin ePrix to close Lucas di Grassi’s championship lead to just one point heading into Formula E’s season finale ahead of Daniel Abt and Lucas Di Grassi.
At the start of the race, Buemi beat poleman Jean-Eric Vergne away but lost the lead of the ePrix a lap later and had to repass Vergne with a bold move into Turn 5. However once Buemi was able to pass Vergne, he managed to build up a gap of 10 seconds before the mid-race car swaps.
He had to manage a full-course yellow and then a physical safety car at the end, which set up a two-lap sprint at the finish. This was caused by Jean-Eric Vergne who had an accident (which broke his front wing) after he clipped a bollard. But he had also just picked up a mechanical failure and did not have any lasting damage, even though the flag was one of several odd calls from the officials.
Vergne’s team-mate Sam Bird had his race ruined by a similar problem. He was flagged in for repairs for a wobbly endplate but he managed to finish the race in sixth place.
The NEXTEV TCR drivers Nelson Piquet Jr and Oliver Turvey were also forced in for alleged mechanical failures while running well inside the points, while Team Aguri debutant Rene Rast was shown the same flag.
However in the latter stages of the race, Buemi's rival Lucas di Grassi had worked his way up to third place, behind his Abt Audi Sport team-mate Daniel Abt. The team then informed Abt to move aside so that Di Grassi could pass him, but Abt did not oblige and maintained his position ahead of his team mate.
But it was a great drive from Sebastien Buemi who celebrated a first win since Punta del Este last December and has closed the lead to the championship down to one point as we head into the season finale in London. Daniel Abt finished the race in second place and was jubilant on the team radio after the race, the opposite of his stoney-faced father, team owner Hans-Jurgen in the garage.
Lucas Di Grassi ended the ePrix in third place (and has cost him three points in the fight for the title) and continued his 100 per cent podium streak on the road this season, a result which was later confirmed after he avoided a penalty for allegedly speeding under the full course yellow.
Nicolas Prost finished the race in a quiet fourth place, ahead of Jean-Eric Vergne finishing in fifth place after hitting the wall just before the mid-race car swaps. But Vergne was very fortunate to finish the ePrix.
With all the issues with fellow other drivers during the ePrix, this then helped promote Robin Frijns to an excellent sixth place ahead of Nick Heidfeld in seventh after a strong drive from sixteenth place following penalties for tyre pressure infringements for both Mahindras after qualifying.
Heidfeld finished ahead of Mike Conway in eighth place, Simona de Silvestro in ninth place and Stephane Sarrazin who rounded off the top ten finishers of the Berlin ePrix.
After his issues in the ePrix, Sam Bird ended the race in eleventh place ahead of Oliver Turvey in twelfth place, Nelson Piquet Jr in thirteenth place, Ma Qing Hua in fourteenth place, Bruno Senna in fifteenth place and Jerome D'Ambrosio in sixteenth place. Rene Rast and Loic Duval did not finish the race.
Here is the classification of the 2016 Berlin ePrix as follows:-
1. Sebastien Buemi, Renault e.Dams, 53.46.086
2. Daniel Abt, ABT Shaeffler Audi Sport, +1.767s
3. Lucas di Grassi, Abt Schaeffler Audi Sport, +2.381s
4. Nicolas Prost, Renault e.Dams, +3.328s
5. Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Virgin Racing, +4.927s
6. Robin Frijns, Andretti, +6.501s
7. Nick Heidfeld, Mahindra Racing, +7.700s
8. Mike Conway, Venturi, +8.305s
9. Simona de Silvestro, Andretti, +12.473s
10. Stephane Sarrazin, Venturi, +13.241s
11. Sam Bird, DS Virgin Racing, 1 lap
12. Oliver Turvey, NEXTEV TCR, 1 lap
13. Nelson Piquet Jr, NEXTEV TCR, 1 lap
14. Ma Qing Hua, Team Aguri, 1 lap
15. Bruno Senna, Mahindra Racing, 2 laps
16. Jerome D'Ambrosio, Dragon Racing, 3 laps
17. Rene Rast, Team Aguri, Not Classified
18. Loic Duval, Dragon Racing, Not Classified
Lucas di Grassi still leads the Formula E Drivers Championship with 141 points ahead of Sebastien Buemi in second with 140 points, Sam Bird in third with 82 points, Jerome D'Ambrosio in fourth with 64 points, Nicolas Prost in fifth with 62 points, Stephane Sarrazin in sixth with 59 points, Daniel Abt in seventh with 50 points, Loic Duval in eighth with 48 points, Nick Heidfeld in ninth with 47 points and Robert Frijns in tenth with 45 points.
Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa
