Returning to Berlin for the fourth year running, Round Nine of the 2017/18 ABB FIA Formula E Championship took place on an updated, specially designed circuit at Tempelhof Airport. After Qualifying in P5 from Group One NIO Formula E Team driver Oliver Turvey secured a front row grid position in his third Superpole shoot-out this season.
Starting alongside the pole-sitter for the start of the race, Turvey fought a fast-paced contest to bring home his NIO 003 Challenger in fifth, earning the team a valuable 10-points
Teammate Luca Filippi in the sister NIO 003 challenger finished nineteenth from Group Three in Qualifying. The Italian executed a rapid pitstop with his car crew, however, was only to take the chequered flag in P17 at the end of the 45-lap race.
“We had a great Qualifying, ending with a front row position. We had a good start to the race. I was able to hold on to second, but the first stint was a challenge managing the energy. But I think we reacted well by changing the strategy a little bit. We pitted in third place and had a great pitstop – the mechanics did a great job and it was our fastest of the year. For the second stint, we were a lap longer than most, so we were having to manage the energy quite a bit. But we got the most out of it and came home in fifth which is another good result with more points for the NIO Formula E Team”, Turvey commented.
Luca Filippi admitted qualifying cost him a lot because the race pace was good
“I think we would have been potentially fighting for good points, but it was very hard to overtake. We had a good pit stop, so the guys did a very good job, it’s just that when you start so far back it’s difficult to recover. So, once more, we have to focus for the next race on the Qualifying”, he added.
NIO Formula E Team Team Principal Gérry Hughes explained:
“After the highs of Qualifying with Oliver, it is a somewhat bittersweet pill to come away with just a fifth position come the end of the race. Oliver once again managed to fully maximise the potential of the NIO 003 chassis in Qualifying and claimed yet another Super Pole place and an eventual second place Grid position. However, during his first stint it quickly became evident that given the pace of the cars around him, we would need to alter our strategy in order to stand any chance of staying in the game.”
“Strategy changes made, including an excellent pit stop from the NIO boys, Turvey then managed to tough it out with the likes of [Sebastien] Buemi and [Jean-Eric] Vergne for the duration of the second stint, finally taking fifth place honours and more valuable points for the NIO Formula E Team.”
#TBT @OliverTurvey #MexicoEPrix
NIO Formula E Team #BlueSkyComing ? pic.twitter.com/ZIBaRHaEg1— NIO (@NIOGlobal) May 24, 2018
