Second day, second race: Not even 24 hours after the kick-off of the season finale in Berlin, Neel Jani and André Lotterer returned to their cockpits. And again, they saw a familiar color on the circuit.
8/6/2020
Turbulent race in Berlin.
The pressure of the grand Formula E finale in Berlin is great – the schedule is as fast-paced as the race series itself. And that is felt by the drivers, team and material. After all, the tarmac in Berlin isn’t an easy ride thanks to its past as airport: Besides managing energy, the races all are about taking it easy on the tires.
Color of the day.
During the seventh season run of the Formula E, one to the drivers very familiar color dominated roughly half of the race: yellow. Race control in Berlin had to announce a “full course yellow” phase twice in close succession. First, parts of Maximilian Günther’s race car were on the track after a collision, then Nyck de Vries’ vehicle came to a stop on the track edge. So, it all came back down to saving energy. A familiar game for both TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team drivers, especially in a turbulent race. But once again they proved their excellent instincts regarding their race cars. They saved energy, safely netting them one or the other advantage in the later course of the race.
André Lotterer started out into the race from position 12 and rose the ranks with each round. Steadily, he crept his way to the top 10. By maintaining a consistently high pace and combining them with great maneuvers, he worked his way up to ninth place – a position he defended against all attacks all the way to the finish line. And thus, making this his second day among the top 10 and those who gain points. His colleague Neel Jani drove a steady race in the middle field. He too managed to defend his spot thanks to a clever Attack Mode strategy. The result: 15th spot on the second race day in Berlin for Neel Jani.
After the first doubleheader, both drivers along with the entire TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team deserves a well-earned short race break. Tomorrow, things picks back up again: Prepping for Saturday – because that’s when the next doubleheader is due. A different track layout, though the challenge remains. Good preparations are all the more important. Because that’s the rule in the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team: never give up – always prepare. Though they can of course take a breather in the meantime.