Rookie Sacha Fenestraz heads into this weekend’s Berlin E-Prix double-header having “spent plenty of time in the simulator”, with the Tempelhof Airport Circuit being one that is known incredibly well by the vast majority of the grid.
The Berlin E-Prix is regarded as a ‘FE classic’, with it this season hosting round seven and eight of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, meaning the season will have reached its halfway point following the conclusion of the weekend. Fenestraz has so far had a solid rookie campaign; however, he left the recent round in São Paulo disappointed, after retiring from the race.
Despite having shown lots of promise this season, the Frenchman has only finished in the points once this season, meaning he’ll be hoping for at least one race in the points at this weekend’s double-header.
“It’s the first double header since Diriyah, so it will be good to get plenty of time on track,” said Fenestraz. “It’s going to be my debut at the Berlin circuit, so I’m excited to compare my development to the rest of the field, as most drivers already know the track. I’m feeling very motivated, we’re coming off a difficult weekend in São Paulo and the whole team has been pushing since then.
“I’ve spent plenty of time in the simulator, the Tempelhof circuit looks really fun, with lots of overtaking opportunities. Qualifying will be crucial, as will energy management because there’s a lot of straights. The first part of the season has been positive, despite a lot of ups and downs, but we’ve been learning at each round so I’m looking forward to attacking the Berlin weekend.”
“The racing line is often narrow” – Norman Nato
On the other side of the Nissan Formula E Team garage, Norman Nato is incredibly excited to be returning to Berlin, with it feeling “always special” every time he’s in the German city.
Racing in Berlin is special for Nato due to him having won at the venue in Season Seven, meaning he has “very fond memories” of the city. He enters the weekend having also retired in São Paulo, after an opening lap collision saw his car pull somewhat of a wheelie. Retiring in Brazil came at a disappointing time for Nato, given that he had finished in the points in back-to-back races ahead of the previous round.
Despite that, he enters this weekend feeling positive and knowing that there’s a “huge opportunity” to score big points, with the target being to “fight for the podium”.
“Coming to Berlin is always special for me. I took my first ever E-Prix here, so naturally I have very fond memories of the city and the track. The whole team knows that this weekend is a big opportunity due to the double-header. The Tempelhof circuit is tricky and puts an emphasis on tire management due to its surface.
“The racing line is often narrow due to the amount of marbles produced, so we’ll have to be careful not to be caught out. The aim is to fight for the podium this weekend, improving in qualifying will be vital to those chances, but the potential is there.”
