Formula E: Evans won the Saturday race

      Rain that had been watering the Berlin ePrix track and its surroundings abated by the start of Saturday’s race, but the surface remained wet, creating additional challenges for drivers and adding an element of intrigue.

      Mitch Evans, driving for Jaguar, took pole position and was certainly eager to succeed after a series of various misfortunes. Robin Frijns started second, although his and his team Envision’s performance this year was even worse than Jaguar’s. Oliver Rowland lined up third, the points leader, who could have secured the championship today; however, as we’ll see, he did not.

      As is often the case in technical sports, not everyone managed to start: for some reason, the Andretti team’s car No. 27 refused to move, and Jake Dennis immediately retired from the race. Yellow flags appeared briefly, but the fight resumed by the third lap.

      On the damp concrete runway of Tempelhof Airport, caution was necessary, so the start and initial laps passed without incident. Evans maintained the lead and soon set the fastest lap time.

      However, many drivers opted to activate Attack Mode immediately, temporarily leaving the main track for a special sector, which changed the order at the front. Evans kept the lead after the first ten laps, but Alexander Sims was in second, and Pascal Wehrlein, teammate of Porsche’s factory team, who started ninth, had moved up to third. Frijns was fourth, and Jean-Éric Vergne was fifth. Rowland was holding sixth position, evidently waiting, especially since this double-header race involves a mandatory pit stop, during which batteries are quickly recharged (Pit Boost), often causing position changes.

      After some time, Köpstä and Wehrlein changed positions, and Frijns was closely pursuing them, while Evans extended his lead to three seconds by lap 15.

      As the race approached its halfway mark, with 39 laps scheduled, pit stops began, affecting the overall order, though not the leading group.

      Frijns was the first among them to pit, on lap 24, followed by Evans and Wehrlein on the next lap. At this point, Rowland moved into the lead, although it was understood to be temporary.

      Evans rejoined in fourth position, while Rowland made his mandatory stop on lap 26, dropping to ninth place. During this period, stewards launched an investigation into a contact earlier in the race between the British Nissan driver and Edoardo Mortara of Mahindra.

      On lap 29, David Beckmann’s car stopped on track following a collision with Sergio Sette Camara’s Nissan. The Brazilian managed to remain on track, unlike British Cupra driver Kiro.

      During the restart, the top five comprised Evans, Wehrlein, Vergne, Max Günther (Penske), and Frijns. By the end of lap 32, Beckmann’s car was removed from the track, and the race continued. Unexpectedly, Vergne also slowed down and fell to the back of the pack, likely due to issues with his car.

      With few laps remaining before the finish, drivers who had not used Attack Mode needed to do so to avoid penalties.

      Meanwhile, another surprise occurred: it appeared that there was contact between Rowland’s Nissan and Felipe Dragovich’s Mahindra, who was replacing Nick de Vries that weekend. The championship leader’s radio communications contained rather harsh comments directed at the Brazilian, although commentators thought that the fault for the collision was less clear, with Dragovich possibly not at fault.

      The leader’s car was damaged and had to return to the pits with a broken front suspension, dashing Oliver Rowland’s hopes of clinching the championship this weekend.

      As the finish line approached, the battle intensified. Evans led, but Wehrlein reduced the gap from three seconds to about eight-tenths and started pressing closely. Wehrlein’s goal was clear: with Rowland out, it was crucial for Pascal to score as many points as possible to delay deciding the championship until the London finale.

      The track was drying, and Wehrlein was gaining, but he still underestimated the condition of the surface, leading to occasional instability. Meanwhile, Evans was maintaining a calm, measured pace, ultimately winning his second race of the season.

      It’s worth noting that eight months have passed since his remarkable victory in Sao Paulo last December.

      Finishing second was Wehrlein, reducing his deficit to Rowland by 18 points, though the gap remained significant. Mortara finished third thanks to a 5-second penalty awarded to Köpstä. Despite the penalty, Rowland’s retirement and the points from second and tenth positions allowed Porsche Formula E Team to move to the top of the team standings, overtaking Nissan.