A fiercely competitive campaign for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, that began in February on the historic Saudi streets of Diriyah, concludes on August 14-15 with the series’ return to the Tempelhof airport circuit in Berlin. Anticipation could hardly be greater as the 12 teams of the fully electric motorsport category gear up for the season’s decisive showdown in the German capital, which has hosted the Formula E series in every season of the championship’s existence.
The Berlin E-Prix – rounds 14 and 15 of Season 7 – promises to be a high-stakes event, with more than a dozen drivers having a mathematical possibility of winning the top prize: the first FIA World Championship in Formula E. In the season’s 13 races so far, there have been 10 different winning drivers, from seven teams – a convincing indicator of the intense level of competition.
The double-header opens with Nyck de Vries of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, winner of rounds in Diriyah and Valencia, Spain, leading the drivers’ standings with 95 points. A slim six points behind is Robin Frijns of Envision Virgin Racing. Sam Bird (Jaguar Racing) and Jake Dennis (BMW i Andretti Motorsport), each having won two races this season, lie within striking distance at 81 points tallied. The narrow margins come into clear focus with the reality that a driver can bring home as many as 29 points at each race. The team standings are led by Envision Virgin Racing, followed closely by Mercedes-EQ and Jaguar Racing.
Germany’s designation as the site for the concluding rounds acknowledges the country’s global standing as a vehicle producer. Increasingly adopting e-mobility as key to a sustainable future, the support of its automakers for the EV revolution is evident in the presence of Formula E teams fielded by four of the country’s performance brands competing on their home turf: Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche.
ABB holds a vital role in Germany’s status as a technology leader and manufacturing powerhouse, where its industrial robots are a key enabler of the country’s world-class auto industry. That position will only grow as the shift to zero-emissions electric cars and trucks accelerates, thanks to the growing networks of DC ultrafast chargers from ABB, a leading global supplier of this game-changing technology.
Building on a relationship in Germany that dates back to 1900, ABB is today deeply involved in the transformation of public transit systems to electrical power. Just one of the recent developments is an agreement to supply chargers for a central bus depot in the northern port city of Hamburg, part of the city’s sustainability goal to cut CO2 emissions by half from 1990 to 2030.
The circuit is laid out on the grounds of the historic Tempelhof airport, which was the city’s lifeline during the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49 as well as the departure point for the humanitarian missions of the “Candy Bomber” flights. It will use a single 2.4-kilometer (1.5 miles) configuration of 10 turns for both races but there’s a twist sure to introduce some unknowns: the direction will reverse from counterclockwise on Saturday to clockwise on Sunday, for what is termed the NILREB (Berlin spelled backwards) circuit. Despite the vast differences in how turns are approached from opposite directions, the lap records for the two layouts are mere tenths of a second apart.
Keen observers at the Tempelhof circuit will witness the special considerations created for the battery-powered racecars, which require unique safety measures in the event of a crash. Much like the extensive safety provisions that are a top priority within ABB for all of its electrical products, the FIA team has established protocols for preventing electrical mishaps. All 24 cars are fitted with a green-red-blue warning light arrangement that signals to track workers when the car’s electrical system is in “safe” mode (green), is energized (red) or when there has been an especially high-force impact (blue). Practice of the “red car” rescue procedure is performed at every race to assure that any hazard to drivers involved in a crash are minimized.
In addition to the race action, Tempelhof will host FIA Girls on Track, an initiative for which ABB is the Official Global Partner. This grassroots program to encourage the next generation of women into motorsport careers, is part of ABB’s Sustainability Strategy. The strategy embraces driving social progress, equality and diversity to create safe, fair and inclusive working environments and support for community building. Activities this weekend will include inviting young women aged 8 to 18 to discover different aspects of motorsport and its industry through workshops and activities such as running laps on an electric go-kart slalom course. There will also be a focus on encouraging girls to pursue STEM topics throughout their education.
Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship launches in January 2022 in Saudi Arabia and adds the new race sites of Cape Town, South Africa; Vancouver, Canada; and Seoul, South Korea, where the season will finish.
