The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is preparing to return to Berlin for the sixth time in as many years since the inception of the all-electric street racing single-seater series. In fact, Berlin is the only capital city that can boast having featured on the Formula E calendar every year since the series was created. With this year’s Berlin E-Prix featuring three double-headers, all held at the Berlin – Tempelhof airport complex, the twenty-four drivers will be contesting a whopping six races.  A historical building, the Tempelhof complex is of course a former airport and remained in operation until 2008 before being converted into a recreational site. As Formula E uses temporary circuits, designed specifically to meet its requirements, the FIA and the promoter were able to rise to the challenge of creating three different tracks for each of the double-headers scheduled, in spite of the extremely tight deadlines involved in switching from one version to another. This is especially true as the local tarmac, previously used by aeroplanes, provides an almost limitless array of possibilities. The first double-header (5-6 August) will thus be contested in the opposite direction to usual on the Tempelhof track (2.355km), before competitors tackle the circuit in its standard configuration for part two of the finale (8-9 August). The last two races (12-13 August) will be contested on a brand new, more technical 2.505km-long track, which is expected to mean that cars will need to adopt a different energy management strategy.

Last time out

With a one-two finish in season 4, and then a win for Lucas Di Grassi last year, the Berlin E-Prix has recently been a happy hunting ground for the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team. Whilst there can be no doubt that team principal Allan McNish will be determined for his outfit to keep up their impressive run at home, their fellow Germans at BMW i Andretti Motorsport, Mercedes-Benz EQ and Tag Heuer Porsche – who have never won in Berlin – will clearly not want to be left out, nor will the other eight teams taking part in the championship.

Current standings

The first five rounds of the 2019-2020 season produced five different winners, confirming the unpredictable nature of the championship: after Sam Bird (Envision Virgin Racing) and Alexander Sims (BMW i Andretti Motorsport) won the opening two races in Diriyah, Maximilian Günther (BMW i Andretti Motorsport) triumphed in Santiago, before Mitch Evans (Panasonic Jaguar Racing) grabbed victory in Mexico. Despite a heroic fightback from the back of the grid in Marrakesh, during which he made up some eighteen places to finish sixth, Mitch Evans nonetheless relinquished the championship lead at the last round to Antonio Felix Da Costa, who claimed his first win of the season for DS Techeetah.

Thanks to a twin podium for its drivers (a win for Antonio Felix Da Costa and third place for Jean-Eric Vergne) in Marrakesh, DS Techeetah – the reigning champions – moved ahead of BMW i Andretti Motorsport in the teams’ standings, whilst Panasonic Jaguar Racing lie third overall. However, with six races still to go out of a total of eleven on the revised 2019-2020 calendar, plenty of twists and turns may lie ahead at this year’s the Berlin E-Prix before the outcome of the drivers’ and teams’ titles are decided.

Driver changes

Several driver changes have been made for this innovative and unprecedented conclusion to the season. Replaced at Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler by Rene Rast, who contested the Berlin E-Prix with Team Aguri during the 2015-2016 season, Daniel Abt will now race for NIO 333. Changes are equally afoot at Mahindra Racing, where Alexander Lynn, the former DS Virgin Racing and Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver, will now race alongside Jérôme d’Ambrosio. Meanwhile, Geox Dragon boasts a new driver pairing of Nico Müller and Sergio Sette Camara, who was impressive in finishing second overall at the Marrakesh Rookie Test.

Championship standings:

Driver Championship standings

1. Antonio Félix DA COSTA            DS Techeetah                                                67pts

2. Mitch EVANS                               Panasonic Jaguar Racing                               56pts

3. Alexander SIMS                            Bmw i Andretti Motorsport                          46pts

4. Maximilian GÜNTHER                 Bmw i Andretti Motorsport                           44pts

5. Lucas DI GRASSI                         Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler                             38pts

6. Stoffel VANDOORNE                  Mercedes-Benz EQ                                       38pts

7. Edoardo MORTARA                     ROKiT Venturi Racing                                 32pts

8. Jean-Éric VERGNE                       DS Techeetah                                                31pts

9. Oliver ROWLAND                        Nissan e.dams                                                30pts

10. Sam BIRD                                    Envision Virgin Racing                                 29pts

11. Sébastien BUEMI                        Nissan e.dams                                                27pts

12. André LOTTERER                      Tag Heuer Porsche                                        25pts

13. Nyck DE VRIES                          Mercedes-Benz EQ                                       18pts

14. Pascal WEHRLEIN                     Mahindra Racing                                          14pts

15. Robin FRIJNS                              Envision Virgin Racing                                 10pts

16. James CALADO                          Panasonic Jaguar Racing                               10pts

17. Daniel ABT                                  Nio 333                                                          8pts

18. Jérôme D'AMBROSIO                Mahindra Racing                                           3pts

19. Felipe MASSA                             ROKiT Venturi Racing                                 2pts

20. Brendon HARTLEY                    Geox Dragon                                                 2pts

21. Oliver TURVEY                          Nio 333                                                          0pts

22. Nico MÜLLER                            Geox Dragon                                                 0pts

23. Neel JANI                                    Tag Heuer Porsche                                        0pts

24. Ma Qinghua                                 Nio 333                                                          0pts

Team Championship standings

1. DS Techeetah                                    98 pts
2. Bmw i Andretti Motorsport               90 pts
3. Panasonic Jaguar Racing                   66 pts
4. Nissan e.dams                                    57 pts
5. Mercedes-Benz EQ                           56 pts
6. Audi Abt Schaeffler                          46 pts
7. Virgin Racing                                   39pts
8. ROkit Venturi  Raciung                     34pts
9. Tag Heuer Porsche                         25pts
10. Mahindra Racing                              17pts
11. Geox Dragon                                    11pts
12. Nio 333                                           0pts
13.