BMW iAndretti’s Maximilian Günther was spun out by his title rival Pascal Wehrlein early in the fifth round of the Formula E Race at Home Challenge Series run on a simulated Berlin Tempelhof airport circuit. He recovered to finish seventh. His teammate Alexander Sims, still climbing the sim racing learning curve, finished fifteenth.
Günther started fifth on the grid and quickly climbed to fourth. Mahindra’s Pascal Wehrlein forced Günther’s BMW iFE20 into the wall as the two racers battled for the position. Wehrlein motored away, staying in fourth for the balance of the fifteen-lap race, while Günther, whose contact with the wall set his car spinning, recovered to finish seventh. Oliver Rowland won for Nissan while Mercedes’ Stoffel Vandoorne finished second. Vandoorne finished ahead of Audi’s Daniel Abt, who was disqualified and fined €10,000 when it was discovered that a professional sim racer, and not Abt, had piloted his car during the race.
Günther, who stays third in the standings behind Wehrlein and Vandoorne going into the sixth round next weekend, said “After qualifying and the start here, I was actually in a good position to reach the podium, but in my opinion it was an overly harsh action that cost me the race. My car nearly overturned after the collision with Pascal Wehrlein and it was severely damaged. Finishing seventh and scoring some championship points was the best I could do in that situation. It was damage limitation.”
Kevin Siggy in an iFe.20 won the challenge race for sim racers that was run along with the main race. It was his second win, extending his points lead.—Brian Morgan
[Photo courtesy BMW Motorsport.]