Placing its two cars in the top three of the final free practice session, the Franco-American team was a serious contender for pole position.
Taylor Barnard perfectly fulfilled his mission and qualified second, confirming all the potential of the DS E-TENSE FE25 that was evident from the start of the weekend. This result promised a lot for the eighth round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The race proved particularly demanding for the drivers on the temporary Tempelhof circuit, as expected. There were plenty of overtaking moves and tyre management was crucial on a surface that is always very abrasive.
Starting from the front row on the grid, Taylor Barnard quickly found himself in the lead and starred as one of the top-five protagonists. But the Briton experienced a more eventful end to the race, finally taking the chequered flag in 11th place.
Maximilian Günther also led the race. After a cautious start from 14th on the grid, the German driver staged a magnificent comeback to hit the front. His pace meant that he was consistently in the running for points, but a problem during a Full Course Yellow procedure ruined his chances of a good result – and the local hero ultimately finished 15th.
The DS Automobiles squad is determined to continue its efforts and is already focusing on the next E-Prix, which will take place on May 16 and 17 in Monaco. With the principality hosting a double-header, the drivers will have two opportunities to shine.
Taylor Barnard:
“The team gave us an incredible car for qualifying today and we were rewarded with a great second place on the grid. But as we have often seen before this season, we unfortunately struggled to find the right pace in the race to convert that into a result. For Monaco, that has to be our focus. So all our energy is now going into this next event.”
Maximilian Günther:
“I’m disappointed with how the weekend ended. We had put together a good race and had the chance to score solid points until a problem during the Full Course Yellow procedure. Our strategy was good and we really gave it everything. I’m still optimistic for Monaco though. We showed strong one-lap pace in Berlin as seen by our performance in practice. Now we've just got to do everything we can to turn this great potential into good results!”
