Munich.
Ending on an absolute highlight, the BMW i Berlin E-Prix
presented by CBMM Niobium (GER) this weekend is also the sporting
highly exciting finale of Season 7 of the ABB FIA Formula E World
Championship and BMW i’s farewell as ‘Official Vehicle Partner’ and
as a works team in the first-ever race series for all-electric
formula cars. For BMW i Andretti Motorsport and its drivers Jake
Dennis (GBR) and Maximilian Günther (GER), anything is possible in
the battle for the world championship titles in the team and driver
standings. Dennis is in fourth place going into the final two races
at the Berlin-Tempelhof airport grounds. In the support programme
for the races, BMW Group will present its range of electric
production cars, the drive of which benefitted greatly from
development in Formula E.
“BMW i has been a partner of Formula E from the outset, and we are
delighted to conclude this unique partnership, after seven successful
years, with another highlight, the title sponsorship at our home event
in Berlin,” said Stefan Ponikva, Vice President Brand Communication
and Brand Experience BMW Group. “I would like to thank Formula E and,
on behalf of the whole organisation, Alejandro Agag, Alberto Longo and
Jamie Reigle. The BMW i Berlin E-Prix will be the highlight of the
season for us. As well as the fully-electric BMW i3s and BMW iX3, we
also have the MINI Electric Pacesetter in action as the safety car and
are delighted to be able to present our latest products, including the
BMW i4 and BMW iX, to the guests and spectators permitted at the
event. We have our fingers crossed for our drivers Jake Dennis and
Maximilian Günther, and the BMW i Andretti Motorsport Team at the
season finale.”
Dennis goes into the final two races in fourth place in the overall
standings with 81 points after his second win of the season at the
London E-Prix (GBR), and trails leader Nyck de Vries (NED, Mercedes)
by just 14 points. Günther has 62 points to his name. In the team
standings, BMW i Andretti Motorsport is in fifth place with 143
points, which sees them trail the top spot by 22 points.
Both of the races at the weekend will use two track versions familiar
from last year in Tempelhof. Saturday’s race will be held on the
standard track. Then the track will be driven in the opposite
direction on Sunday. This will require the track to be converted,
which will take place overnight. Saturday’s race gets underway at 2.00
p.m. CEST, while Sunday’s race starts at 3.30 p.m. CEST.
Quotes ahead of the BMW i Berlin E-Prix:
Roger Griffiths (Team Principal BMW i Andretti Motorsport):
“Berlin will be a very special race weekend for the whole team; not
only is it the end of the championship and there is all to play for,
but it is also the final two rounds for the factory partnership
between BMW i and Andretti Formula E. A partnership that came together
formally in Season 5, it started with a pole position and a win, and
hopefully we can close out together in a similar manner. I am sure
there will be many mixed emotions come the end of the weekend. The
championship points are so close, almost anything can happen between
Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon. The unique nature of the track
surface means that tyre management will be key. The weather also looks
to be quite hot and that should suit the efficiency of the BMW i drivetrain.”
Jake Dennis (#27 BMW iFE.21):
“It feels like it was just yesterday that I contest my first Formula
E race in Diriyah. We’ve come a long way since then, won two races in
my rookie season and are right in the middle of the battle for the
world championship. I’m really excited for Berlin and will give it my
all to make use of the momentum and drive for the title. But we can
already be very proud of what we have achieved as a team this season.”
Maximilian Günther (#28 BMW iFE.21):
“I’m super excited for the season finale in Berlin. Two track layouts
in two days is a real challenge, and one that we have prepared well
for. We are still right there in the battle for the title in both
championships, and the home fans at the track make the atmosphere even
more special. We will give it everything we’ve got once again for the
final two races for BMW as a works team in Formula E.”
TRACK FACTS BERLIN.
Track length
2.355 km. Saturday:
Anti-clockwise. Sunday: Clockwise.
Corners
10 – In both layouts 5 right
turns and 5 left turns.
Track surface
The special airfield surface
causes high levels of tyre wear. There are also bumps on the
armour panels, albeit fewer than at other tracks.
Grip level
Medium to high. Should increase
from day 1 to day 2. Disadvantage for early qualifying
groups lower than on other tracks.
Track layout
Characteristics of both versions
are very similar, so hardly and set-up adjustments
necessary. Mainly slow turns, except T4 and T7. Wide track
with good overtaking opportunities and reduced risk of accidents.
Tyre wear
Very high. Heavy wear on the rear
axle in particular on the long straight which is why two
sets of tyres are available per race day for each car,
instead of the usual 1.5.
Top speed
Approx. 220 km/h – depending on
wind direction on the finishing straight or back straight.
Attack zone
On the outside of T5 and T6.
Slightly modified position for the reverse version on Sunday.
Key factors
Energy management, tyre
management, qualifying performance in the early starting
groups in particular, battery temperature if it’s hot.
The FANBOOST vote.
FANBOOST gives Formula E fans the opportunity to vote for their
favourite driver and award them an extra boost of power during the
race. The five drivers with the most FANBOOST votes receive an extra
100 kJ of power, which they can make use of during a brief time frame
in the second half of the race. Fans can vote for their favourite
driver in the four days prior to, and leading up to 15 minutes into,
each race. Each fan can vote once per day. There are two ways to vote:
Online at https://fanboost.fiaformulae.com/
or via the official Formula E App.
The BMW Group Safety Cars.
The BMW Group has been represented in the ABB FIA Formula E
World Championship as ‘Official Vehicle Partner’ since the very
beginning and will continue to provide the fleet of safety cars for
season 7 of the fully-electric racing series. Alongside the BMW i8
Roadster Safety Car (fuel consumption (combined): 2.0 l /100 km;
energy use (combined): 14.5 kWh /100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 46
g/km)*, which has been modified specially for racing use, the MINI
Electric Pacesetter inspired by JCW will be appearing as a new safety
car from the Rome E-Prix onwards. The development of the car based on
the new MINI Cooper SE represents a hitherto unique collaboration
between MINI Design, BMW Motorsport, the FIA and Formula E. The fleet
also includes the BMW i3s (Power consumption in kWh/100: 14.6-14.0
(NEDC); 16.6-16.3 (WLTP), electric range in km: 278-283 (WLTP))* as
‘Race Director Car’ and the BMW iX3 (Power consumption in kWh/100:
17.8-17.5 (NEDC); 19.0-18.6 (WLTP), electric range in km: 450-458
(WLTP))* in its roles as ‘Medical Car’ and ‘Rescue Car’.