Da Costa is currently in third place in the drivers’ standings. Teammate and World Champion Pascal Wehrlein is second. With Dan Ticktum of the Porsche customer team Cupra Kiro, another Porsche driver is among the frontrunners in the table (fifth). The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team leads the teams’ standings ahead of the weekend in Berlin. In the manufacturers’ standings, Porsche trails championship leaders Nissan by just three points.
Characterful racetrack presents a particular challenge
The temporary racetrack at the former Tempelhof airport is notable for its unique character. Concrete slabs instead of asphalt, different rough surfaces, and thus varying grip levels, are particularly challenging for tyre management. The advantage of the huge airfield is that the route can be modified. Five different tracks have already been used, with the most recent change to the layout being in 2024. Away from the racing action, Tempelhofer Feld is open to the public. At around 300 hectares, it is one of the biggest inner-city areas of its kind in Europe. Berlin residents use the site year-round for various recreational activities such as skating, flying kites, or going for a stroll. The convenient location means the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is able to take the underground between the hotel and the racetrack – very much in the spirit of Formula E, which was set up to have as small a footprint as possible.
The decommissioned airport in Tempelhof has hosted the Berlin E-Prix since 2015, and thus since the Formula E’s maiden season (winter season 2014/2015). With one exception: a detour to Karl-Marx-Allee in 2016. Berlin is the only city to have been a permanent fixture on the race calendar to date. Around 25,000 spectators followed the action last year. Including many Porsche employees who supported the factory team from the stands at the home event.
Porsche record in Berlin
In addition to da Costa’s win last year, Porsche has celebrated another spot on the podium: André Lotterer finished in second place in 2020. Back then, six races were held at the Tempelhof airfield in the space of nine days – the end of the season shaped by the pandemic. Pascal Wehrlein may still be waiting for his first podium in Berlin, but he has picked up valuable points there on the road to his title, finishing in P4 and P5 last year.
Rookie Test after Berlin E-Prix
Immediately following the Berlin E-Prix, Porsche will focus on two different drivers on Monday: Ayhancan Güven and Elia Weiss are taking part in the official Formula E Rookie Test. The Turkish DTM race winner Güven (27) completed Porsche’s in-house junior programme and will be taking the wheel of a factory car for the first time in Berlin. Aged 16, Munich’s Weiss is the youngest driver to date to take part in an official Formula E session. The duo will be driving Wehrlein and da Costa’s cars, the highly efficient Porsche 99X Electric.
Pit Boost returns
At the Berlin E-Prix, there will be a Pit Boost for the fifth time this season. During the 34-second mandatory pit stop in the race on Saturday, 3.85 kWh of electricity will flow into the battery (10 %) – innovative rapid charging with 600 kW of power. By way of comparison: The Formula E safety car – the sports car for the road; the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT – charges with up to 320 kW. The CCS (Combined Charging System) symbolises a transfer of technology to series production: Socket and plug for the 99X racing car are the same as for the electric Porsche production sports cars. The CCS combines the benefits of alternating current charging with the benefits of direct current charging, meaning it enables more gentle charging at home and more powerful rapid charging on the go, for example.
Standings after 12 of 16 races
Drivers’ classification
1. Oliver Rowland (GBR), 172 points
2. Pascal Wehrlein (GER), 103 points
3. António Félix da Costa (POR), 98 points
5. Dan Ticktum (GBR), 80 points
11. Jake Dennis (GBR), 59 points
14. Nico Müller (SUI), 44 points
22. David Beckmann (GER), 0 points
Teams’ classification
1. TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team (GER), 201 points
2. Nissan Formula E Team (JPN), 191 points
3. DS Penske (USA), 145 points
6. Andretti Formula E (USA), 103 points
9. CUPRA KIRO (USA), 80 points
Manufacturers’ classification
1. Nissan, 299 points
2. Porsche, 296 points
3. Stellantis, 215 points
Formula E live on TV and online
Races 13 and 14 of the season get underway at 16:05 local time (CEST) on 12 and 13 July respectively, qualifying starts at 11:20 local time on both days (CEST).
The worldwide broadcasting schedule of the Formula E events is available at fiaformulae.com/en/ways-to-watch.
Comments on the Berlin E-Prix
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “We’re entering the final spurt of the season. Four races to go, two of which are at our home event in Berlin. We got our first win there last year with António and naturally we are keen to build on this and be up there battling for wins. In the manufacturers’ championship we trail Nissan by just three points, and we want to take the lead. In the teams’ standings we are now ten points ahead, but that is not a buffer that allows us to sit back and relax – quite the opposite: We need to keep on attacking and extend our lead. Driving in front of a home crowd and German fans really is a special experience that we are looking forward to. Many employees from the factory will be supporting us in the stands at the track. The track is challenging, particularly the concrete slabs and the rough surface. You need the right set-up and to get the tyre management spot on. This was our focus during our simulator preparation.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche factory driver: “There are only a few races left, and I hope that we can have a positive end to the season and get good results – this is also very important in regard to the world championship. Naturally, I am really looking forward to the home race in Berlin and the support of the huge numbers of German fans, family, and friends who will be at the track. So, we want to do particularly well there.”
António Félix da Costa, Porsche factory driver: “I have a lot of good memories of Berlin and have won here three times already, most recently last year. As the team’s home race, Berlin is always a highlight. Lots of team members who aren’t usually at the races will be there. That makes the weekend special.”
Porsche in Formula E
2024/2025 sees Porsche contest its sixth Formula E season. In addition to the factory TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, American customer team Andretti Formula E is entering the Porsche 99X Electric of the latest GEN3 Evo generation. With the addition of Cupra Kiro, this season will be the first time that a second Porsche customer team has entered the series; they will be using 99X technology of the previous GEN3 generation. Formula E gives the brand valuable insights for its production sports cars.