One-two glory for Audi/Michelin in Berlin

Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler marched to a one-two triumph on home soil thanks to Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi. Third place for Jean-Eric Vergne (Techeetah) has taken the Frenchman even further clear at the top of the Drivers’ points table with only three more races to come.

Germany’s Daniel Abt produced a perfect performance today in sunny Berlin where he started from pole to win this year’s visit to the city’s former Tempelhof Airport. It is the Audi driver’s second Formula E success of the season after Mexico City.

The race proved a little harder for his team-mate and reigning champion Lucas di Grassi who started from fifth on the grid. After picking off his opponents one by one, though, the Brazilian eventually passed Oliver Turvey (NIO Formula E Team) to grab second place on Lap 12.

The evening’s action provided a race-long and particularly virile stand-off between Jean-Eric Vergne and Sébastien Buemi (Renault e.dams) but the championship leader eventually got the upper-hand to clinch a podium finish with 10 laps remaining.

The Frenchman’s title hopes were further boosted by the relatively poor runs of rivals Sam Bird (DS Virgin Racing) and Felix Rosenqvist (Mahindra Racing) who had to settle for 7th and 12th places respectively after failing to shine in qualifying. The Swede didn’t do himself any favours either when he went wide first time through Turn 1.

Turvey, Mitch Evans (Jaguar Racing) and Bird ended up fifth, sixth and seventh, but there was plenty to keep the spectators entertained further down the order as Maro Engel (8th, Venturi), André Lotterer (9th, Techeetah), who had started from the back of the grid, and Nick Heidfeld (10th, Mahindra Racing) battled for the other points positions. Jose Maria Lopez (Dragon Racing) lost his chance of scoring with a late spin.

The next round of the 2017/2018 ABB FIA Formula E Championship will take teams to Zurich, Switzerland, for the final European clash of Season 4 on June 10.