Amiel Lindesay, the Head of Operations Formula E of the Tag Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, hopes the German outfit can maximise their potential this weekend in the final round of the 2020-21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Berlin.
Porsche have shown hints of what they are capable of this season, and although Lindesay feels the team are in a much stronger position than they were twelve months ago, they are still seeking their first victory in Formula E.
Pascal Wehrlein did take the chequered flag first in the Puebla E-Prix but was subsequently disqualified on a technicality, but Lindesay says that first victory does not feel too far away for Porsche.
“As a team, we’re a lot stronger than we were 12 months ago,” said Lindesay. “We’ve worked hard to continue improving. We scored points recently, and we’ve shown that we can deal with tricky situations well.
“Quali let us down slightly but we stayed positive knowing we have the car and the team to consistently run at the front. The competition in the world championship is tough and a fraction of a second in qualifying or a small mistake in the race can cost a podium.
“In Berlin, we want to make full use of our potential.”
Wehrlein is Porsche’s best bet for the title heading to the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit, sitting eleventh but only twenty-four points behind Nyck de Vries in first, and Lindesay says that a strong Saturday outing in Berlin could propel him nearer to the top.
Technically André Lotterer in seventeenth is still in with a chance, but with a deficit of fifty points, it is unlikely the second German in the team will come away this weekend as Champion.
“In theory, eighteen drivers still have the chance to become world champion, and Pascal is one of them,” said Lindesay. “He’s within striking distance of the top and can secure a good grid position for the first race in the quali’ group two. If he can do this, anything’s possible. It’ll definitely be an exciting final!
“We want to move up the championship standings to merit where we should be at the end of the first Formula E World Championship season. We had a lot of good opportunities to score points. We should be much higher up than we currently are.
“Now we want to gain a few positions. That’s our goal in Berlin.”
Lindesay says racing on two different layouts this weekend has made preparations for the Berlin E-Prix more thorough, but the fact they raced on both layouts last year gives them some kind of baseline to start with.
“Racing on two different layouts basically means twice the usual pre-race preparation,” said Lindesay. “However, the track layouts are the same as in season 6, which suits us obviously.
“We did some intensive preparation work in the simulator and we were able to access real data. Actually, this is only the second time we’ve returned to a course that we’ve already driven.
“The different layouts make the races a really exciting package for the fans. Berlin will be a real showdown to conclude a great season.”
