Oliver Rowland produced a peerless performance to convert pole space into victory within the penultimate Berlin E-Prix (12 August), leading dwelling Robin Frijns and René Rast in what turned out to be a trail to omit for one of the most most ABB FIA System E Championship’s largest names.
From his third profession pole space, Rowland led the 24-critical discipline away when the lights went out, and by lap ten, he had established a two-second margin over nearest pursuer Frijns.
Now not putting so mighty as a wheel out-of-space, the Nissan e.DAMS star maintained that margin in some unspecified time in the future of, never once surrendering his lead – even supposing Frijns bought shut when Rowland employed ‘ATTACK MODE’ for the first time. Taking the chequered flag inviting over 1.9 seconds forward, his maiden steal vaulted the Briton from ninth as much as second within the title desk with one trail last.
Frijns prolonged his trail of marvelous results at Tempelhof Airport, including one more runner-up attain to the second and fourth areas he completed for Envision Virgin Racing closing week, with the quit outcome helping to make up for a failure to initiate Sunday’s trail because of a powertrain express.
In the aid of the quit two, all eyes were on the tussle for third. Following a amazing qualifying effort, Neel Jani held the distance for a ways of the trail however therefore conceded ground to TAG Heuer Porsche team-mate André Lotterer and Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s Rast, who proceeded to lift in a tantalizing fight for the closing region on the rostrum.
Lotterer – undoubtedly one of many trail’s main movers early on as he scythed his well past Rast and Alex Lynn – regarded to grasp the grief under preserve a watch on in his defence against his countryman, however with much less vitality last, he found himself under increasing assault within the closing phases. In an amazing duel, the pair went facet-by-facet through several corners on the closing lap, as Rast boldly prised the door originate and finally made a pass stick.
Lynn took fifth for Mahindra Racing, the Briton sagely conserving his vitality in bid to drag off a late overtake on Jani, who nonetheless scored his first System E points in sixth after what used to be by a ways his most aggressive performance to-date.
From 14th on the grid, Mitch Evans (Panasonic Jaguar Racing) climbed throughout the discipline successfully. Despite losing ground when he used to be baulked on lap two, thereafter he picked his opponents off and made paunchy employ of ‘FANBOOST’ to substandard the attain line in seventh and remain within the combo for the championship runner-up laurels.
Edoardo Mortara claimed his second points attain of the week in Berlin with eighth space for ROKiT Venturi Racing, sooner than Mercedes-Benz EQ’s Stoffel Vandoorne, who raced up the bid from 18th on the initiate.
The points-paying positions were performed by Rowland’s Nissan e.DAMS stablemate Sébastien Buemi, who loved an sharp duel with now not too prolonged ago-topped champion António Félix da Costa (DS Techeetah). The pair had started on the rear of the discipline following a disastrous qualifying session for all four System E title-winners, however fought their plot through to the fringes of the quit ten. Da Costa used to be on-course to attain 11th till he dropped out of opponents on the closing lap.
Fellow champions Lucas Di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) and Jean-Éric Vergne (DS Techeetah) were equally within the wars; the Brazilian picked up a puncture and a five-second penalty for a collision with da Costa, while the Frenchman used to be handed a power-through penalty for battery over-cooling.
BMW i Andretti Motorsport’s Maximilian Günther – third within the standings heading into the trail – had to pit for repairs after contact early on left him with a punctured tyre, however he stays undoubtedly one of nine drivers mute within the hunt for the championship runner-up spoils, a fight that will doubtless be determined the following day (Thursday, 13 August) within the season finale.
NISSAN E.DAMS – OLIVER ROWLAND
“I didn’t inquire of that on the contemporary time. The team has accomplished a inconceivable job, qualifying went successfully and within the trail the auto used to be amazing. I will now not imagine it, it is an amazing feeling so let’s work for extra of these moments.”
ENVISION VIRGIN RACING – ROBIN FRIJNS
“I used to be struggling to grasp on to Oliver within the starting assign since he used to be very rapidly – he inviting pulled the hole since he used to be one lap longer in ATTACK MODE. I used to be making an are trying to fetch support, however Oliver did an unlimited job and he used to be mighty quicker than me. I’m quite cosy with second space however we are right here to steal so now we want to keep training that neutral.”
AUDI SPORT ABT SCHAEFFLER – RENE RAST
“The team urged me I had extra vitality left than Andre on the closing lap and I observed he used to be struggling in sector two. He used to be lifting quite early so I attempted to overtake him and we had some contact and then went facet-by-facet in T12 and T13 and there used to be rather of rubbing. If I grasp learned one thing over the past few races, it is that rubbing equals racing in System E, so I attempted it on the contemporary time and had a seriously better outcome!”
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