The unpredictability of sport is what keeps fans coming back for more. And while the race results from the recent Formula E double-header in Berlin followed a somewhat familiar pattern, with New Zealanders Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy taking the spoils for Jaguar and Envision Racing respectively, qualifying saw what might have been the biggest surprise of the season so far.
Abt Cupra is enduring a tough season, to put it mildly. In fact, it’s probably fairer to say the German squad is suffering its most difficult campaign than at any other point in its illustrious history. This is the same Abt squad that took Lucas di Grassi to the 2016-17 Formula E drivers' title and just a year later secured the teams’ title – not to mention its various successes in other motorsport categories.
But fast-forward five years and the squad’s fortunes couldn’t be more different. Prior to the two races at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit the team had not scored a single point in the previous six races. That turned into seven on the bounce after Saturday, when Robin Frijns led home team-mate Nico Muller down in 14th and 15th, some 25 seconds off race winner Evans.
But with the help of a wet qualifying session ahead of the second race on Sunday, the team sensationally locked out the front row for its home event with Frijns beating Muller to pole in the final duel.
“It was a really emotional moment to be honest when we saw both cars in the final, you saw some tears in the garage,” team principal Thomas Biermaier told Autosport. “It was one of my best moments in over 20 years of motorsport.”
While the performance raised a collective cheer from the media centre and soggy spectators in the grandstands, it also raised eyebrows from other teams up and down the pitlane. How could a team that had yet to register a point this season take a comprehensive front-row lockout, even if the weather had played a part?
Biermaier was quick to dismiss the notion that the team had implemented anything radical, saying rather that lots of little things had added up to produce the big result.
“I think in wet conditions the mechanical setup is a little bit more important than the software settings, or it has more influence. Also the tyre pressures and things like that. It’s not one specific thing,” he said.
Source: Autosport