Nyck de Vries got the jump on polesitter Edoardo Mortara at the start of race two of the Berlin E-Prix on Sunday, with the Dutchman then controlling the race thereafter.
The defending ABB FIA Formula E World Championship drivers’ champion, racing for the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, started third at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit but was robust in overtaking Mortara into turn one, a move that ultimately proved decisive.
It was a stunning day for Mercedes, with its power unit supplying the top four finishes, with de Vries being followed home by ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Mortara, with their respective team-mates Stoffel Vandoorne and Lucas di Grassi third and fourth.
Only once did de Vries lose the lead after his terrific start, with the Dutchman losing out briefly to Mortara when he activated his attack mode early in the race. However, with the additional power at his disposal, he was quickly back ahead of the Swiss racer and maintained his position thereafter until the chequered flag.
Mortara attempted a different strategy with his attack mode, using it much later in the day, but he was too far behind de Vries when he had the additional power, and he was forced to settle for second place.
Indeed, activating his attack mode saw him drop from second down to fifth, and he was forced to use the power to regain his position on track rather than close the gap and pass de Vries for the lead.
Vandoorne put in another strong drive to clinch the final spot on the podium, the Belgian having started eighth before climbing up the order as he battled Robin Frijns, André Lotterer and António Félix da Costa for a place in the top four before passing di Grassi for third late in the day.
Frijns survived an investigation after making contact with Félix da Costa to finish as best of the rest in fifth for Envision Racing, just ahead of the DS Techeetah driver, with both passing Mahindra Racing’s Oliver Rowland as the Briton was forced to conserve more energy than his rivals.
Rowland did manage to hold off Tag Heuer Porsche FE Team’s Lotterer to finish seventh, while DS Techeetah’s Jean-Éric Vergne endured a tough day in ninth, just ahead of Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans.
Sam Bird missed out on points in the second Jaguar in eleventh, as did twelfth-placed Pascal Wehrlein, with both enduring difficult days to further fall away from the championship battle.
But the championship defence for de Vries is definitely back on track thanks to his victory, although his team-mate Vandoorne holds onto the lead heading into the Jakarta E-Prix at the beginning of June.
Berlin E-Prix Race 2 Result
POS. | NO. | DRIVER | NAT | TEAM | TIME/GAP |
1 | 17 | Nyck de Vries | NED | Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team | |
2 | 48 | Edoardo Mortara | CHE | ROKIT Venturi Racing | +2.454 |
3 | 5 | Stoffel Vandoorne | BEL | Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team | +6.936 |
4 | 11 | Lucas di Grassi | BRZ | ROKiT Venturi Racing | +8.165 |
5 | 4 | Robin Frijns | NED | Envision Racing | +13.829 |
6 | 13 | António Félix da Costa | POR | DS Techeetah | +14.387 |
7 | 30 | Oliver Rowland | GBR | Mahindra Racing | +15.518 |
8 | 36 | André Lotterer | GER | TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team | +15.845 |
9 | 25 | Jean-Éric Vergne | FRA | DS Techeetah | +18.831 |
10 | 9 | Mitch Evans | NZL | Jaguar TCS Racing | +21.722 |
11 | 10 | Sam Bird | GBR | Jaguar TCS Racing | +22.875 |
12 | 99 | Pascal Wehrlein | GER | TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team | +25.412 |
13 | 27 | Jake Dennis | GBR | Avalanche Andretti FE Team | +27.012 |
14 | 23 | Sébastien Buemi | CHE | Nissan e.DAMS | +29.559 |
15 | 28 | Oliver Askew | USA | Avalanche Andretti FE Team | +33.359 |
16 | 28 | Maximilian Günther | GER | Nissan e.DAMS | +35.775 |
17 | 8 | Oliver Turvey | GBR | NIO 333 FE Team | +40.044 |
18 | 29 | Alexander Sims | GBR | Mahindra Racing | +41.542 |
19 | 7 | Sérgio Sette Câmara | BRZ | Dragon/Penske Autosport | +41.860 |
20 | 33 | Dan Ticktum | GBR | NIO 333 FE Team | +51.648 |
21 | 37 | Nick Cassidy | NZL | Envision Racing | +55.192 |
22 | 99 | Antonio Giovinazzi | ITA | Dragon/Penske Autosport | +1:01.933 |