– After a one-year break, Berlin’s airport Tempelhof is back as Formula E venue.
– First double-header with two races on one weekend on the 2017 calendar.
– Following his good performance in Paris, Tom Dillmann will race for Venturi for the rest of the season
The seventh race weekend of the 2016 / 2017 season will be held in Berlin. In the German capital, the Venturi colours will be represented by Venturi regular Maro Engel and Frenchman Tom Dillmann. Stephane Sarrazin has been hired for the rest of the season by Team Techeetah.
With the legendary AVUS, Berlin has got a huge tradition when it comes to street racing. Therefore, it is a perfect venue for Formula E races, says team owner Gildo Pallanca Pastor. On the one hand it is a pity that the races aren’t’ held in the heart of the city as it is the case in other metropolises. But on the other hand, Tempelhof airport represents an outstanding venue with a fantastic backdrop and great possibilities for thrilling races. Formula E already made a stop in Tempelhof in the 2014 / 2015 season but for this year’s races the track layout was fundamentally revised and will represent a massive challenge for the drivers.
I look forward to Berlin and the first double header of the season, says Maro Engel. For me, it’s my second home event after Monaco and I’m convinced that the German fans will give us a lot of support. Following the good results in Mexico City and Monaco, Engel who couldn’t represent the team in France due to scheduling conflicts with DTM, the German residing in Monaco now wants to again really go for it in Formula E. I want tie in with the momentum of my performances in the previous events to deliver in both races, the German says with a lot of fighting spirit.
Following the good eighth place he secured in his first Formula E race for Venturi Tom Dillmann now was signed by the team for the rest of the season. And he also travels to Berlin in a confident mood. I’m delighted with continuing my Formula E debut season with Venturi what will allow us to intensify our relationship and our trust step by step. Now I want to build on my experiences gathered so far to secure even better results.
On the second weekend in June, the race distance of the Saturday race amounts to 44 laps, with the race distance on Sunday adding up to 46 laps. The new airport circuit features long straights and technically demanding tight corner combinations. I like to remember my own races in Berlin, says Marc Gindorf, co-owner of Team Venturi, who raced in his day as racing driver with DTM at the AVUS. These were great times and the fans in the capital used to be special already then. They were extremely enthusiastic and this enthusiasm quickly was transferred to us drivers. And I am convinced that this also will boost the motivation of our drivers particularly the one of Maro Engel in his second home race.
Birgitt Dietel,