Closed Circuit: NEXTEV TCR in Berlin

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Despite having their best qualifying session of the season, both NEXTEV TCR Formula E cars lost out on any vital championship points in Berlin this weekend. Both of their drivers, Briton Oliver Turvey and current Formula E world champion Nelson Piquet Jr, ended up finishing out of the points in 12th and 13th place respectively.

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In their Berlin ePrix Report, the team put the blame of their weak finish on the damaged they suffered from the bollards in the first chicane. During the race Turvey had to pit from eighth, as well as Piquet a lap later, due to damaged sustained from these bollards which also caught out others on the grid, such as pole sitter Vergne.

Aside from the non-point scoring race result the team had looked strong over the weekend around the streets of Berlin, the penultimate location for the series before the season comes to a close at Battersea Park in July.

Turvey finished second in the first practice and topped the timesheets in his group’s qualifying session. He also managed to set the fastest lap time during the race, which was unfortunately snatched from his by race winner Sebastien Buemi later on in the race.

Nelson also showed great pace during free practice, setting the fastest lap time in second practice despite technical issues resulting in his time on track being cut short.

Both drivers qualified well but found themselves being promoted after the two Mahindra cars were penalised for a tyre pressure infringement. This placed Oliver Turvey in 7th and Nelson Piquet Jr in 5th, his best qualifying result of the 15/16 season.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Team mate comparison: qualifying” tab_id=”1461512175704-af49c202-f1e45043-b57226a0-4378″][vc_line_chart type=”line” style=”modern” x_values=”Beijing; Putrajaya; Punta del Este; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Long Beach; Paris; Berlin” values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Nelson%20Piquet%20Jr%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2218%3B%2016%3B%2012%3B%2009%3B%2018%3B%2017%3B%2009%3B%2005%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Oliver%20Turvey%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2215%3B%2017%3B%2010%3B%2011%3B%2015%3B%2013%3B%2007%3B%2007%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%23f7be68%22%7D%5D” title=”Team mate comparison: qualifying”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Team mate comparison: race” tab_id=”1461512175763-831c2584-42cf5043-b57226a0-4378″][vc_line_chart type=”line” style=”modern” x_values=”Beijing; Putrajaya; Punta del Este; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Long Beach; Paris; Berlin” values=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Nelson%20Piquet%20Jr%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2215%3B%2008%3B%2015%3B%2012%3B%2013%3B%2018%3B%2016%3B%2013%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22turquoise%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Oliver%20Turvey%22%2C%22y_values%22%3A%2206%3B%2017%3B%2012%3B%2009%3B%2011%3B%2012%3B%2013%3B%2012%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22green%22%2C%22custom_color%22%3A%22%23f7be68%22%7D%5D” title=”Team mate comparison: race”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”The team says: “…“” tab_id=”1461512258191-0360a250-a68c5043-b57226a0-4378″][vc_column_text]

[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”It was a difficult day after such a promising start; securing our best qualifying of the season with a P5 and P7. Both Nelson and Oliver clipped the bollards on the first chicane on lap one, which caused damage to the noses and sadly we were always on the back foot after that.”
Martin Leach, NEXTEV President[/pullquote]

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After qualifying well, something the current world champion highlighted when reviewing his weekend, Nelson’s weekend began to fall apart after pitting for the front wing damage.

Piquet Jr pitted on lap nine as a result of mutilation to his car’s nose which was also a result of the first chicane bollards. Before making the ‘race ending’ pit stop, Nelson was racing behind championship leader Lucas di Grassi. Piquet also benefited from D’Ambrosio’s pit stop, Duval’s contact with the wall and the easy pass on Ma.

He finished in 13th behind team-mate Turvey, with just 0.621s separating the two. Piquet also achieved his best qualifying result of the season with 7th, before being promoted to 5th after penalties for Bruno Senna and Nick Heidfeld.

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Best time in FP1: 59.724 (P12)

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Best time in FP2: 57.909 (P1)

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Best time in qualifying: 58.026 (P7, promoted to P5 after penalties applied to other drivers)

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Best time in the race: 1:00.567 (Lap 19)

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Pit stop time and difference to minimum pit stop time: 64.129 (2.129 seconds above minimum time)

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[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Oliver and I did a very good job with the car we had and qualified well. In the race our pace dropped down and we struggled a bit more with our car. In the first stint the officials sent me into the pits because I had a piece of loose wing from the start and that really ended the race for us. With the package we have, we need to be in the right place to take advantages when we can, and with the unscheduled pitstop for the nose cone change, that made that impossible today.”[/pullquote]

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After being promoted to seventh place, Turvey started from a strong grid position. Despite losing a position in the first lap, Oliver Turvey held his eighth place until lap 11 when he was forced to pit after damage to nose of the car. The damage was a result of the first chicane bollards and ruined many race strategies over the 48-lap race.

After his pit stop he emerged in 16th, overtook team-mate Nelson and by lap 16 found himself in 15th place. During the race Oliver set the fastest lap, a time that was beaten by race winner Buemi just eleven laps later. In the last 12 laps of Turvey’s race he moved up a further three places, taking advantage of a pit stop from D’Ambrosio, Duval’s heavy hit into the wall and passing Ma in what was the Chinese driver’s second Formula E race.

As a result he finished in 12th position, still out of the points but one place ahead of his finish in Paris last time out.

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Best time in FP1: 58.690 (P2)

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Best time in FP2: 58.207 (P5)

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Best time in qualifying: 58.118 (P9, promoted to P7 after penalties for other drivers)

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Best time in the race: 59.898 (Lap 20)

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Pit stop time and difference to minimum pit stop time: 62.939 (0.939 seconds above minimum time)

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[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“I had a good start and was able to hold position and pace. I clipped the bollard at the first chicane and damaged the end of the front wing. The part of the wing that was damaged then fell off, but it didn’t affect the handling of the car so it was frustrating to get a technical flag as this dropped us down the field and made things very difficult after this. We did have a strong FP2 and qualifying session here. New circuits like Paris and Berlin give us an advantage as everyone is having to learn the circuit for the first time together. We are doing a good job preparing for the new circuits, doing a lot of work in the simulator and with the engineers before we arrive at the track and this hard work is showing in qualifying.”[/pullquote]

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Images courtesy of Rajan Jangda

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