Formula E has revealed a trio of circuit configurations for its Season 6 finale in Berlin this August in which the series will complete six races in a single nine-day spell.
The championship last raced in February prior to its suspension as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and with its six-race showdown, will complete three double-header events in under two weeks.
For the opening pair of races on August 5/6, drivers will race on a reverse layout of the Tempelhof Circuit before racing on the traditional anti-clockwise configuration of the popular venue on August 8/9.
In a two-day gap in racing ahead of the penultimate and final rounds of the season, this layout will then be changed to create a new circuit that has never been used in Formula E.
This more technical configuration features a more complex second sector with an additional six corners, upping the count to 16 compared to the original circuit’s 10 turns.
“It is a huge undertaking in terms of production to set up three different configurations for this event, with fewer people on-site to be able to carry out those changes,” commented Formula E Sporting Director Frederic Espinos.
“We’re doing something that has never been seen before in world-class motorsport and it’s an example of how reactive and innovative Formula E is – it’s in our DNA.
“Racing in both directions has a lot of implications. It is not just turning all braking markers and the grid boxes around. Other international series wanted to make this happen but their proposals were rejected by the governing body.
“We had to make sure all the broadcast technology, overlays, branding, safety measures, barriers, kerbs and run-off worked and plan accordingly for this – whilst also making the changes viable in just 24 hours, with reduced resources.
“The third track will be more technical, so totally different again in terms of energy management and what the teams might be used to or expecting.
“All along, we aimed to make their lives as tricky as possible in Berlin, limiting the effectiveness of their simulation work and throwing strategies up in the air.
“Car setups will all need to change, energy management and regen will be completely different and teams will have to think on their feet.
“There will be a lot for drivers and engineers to get on top of before we go green and I feel the Formula E spectacle fans are familiar with will be pushed a step further still with this additional bundle of unknowns.”
Alongside the challenge of completing over half a season in less than two weeks, Formula E will also race amidst a pandemic and as such, has implemented robust and strict safety measures for the finale.
All races of the six-part Berlin E-Prix will be held behind closed doors while teams will run with skeleton crews as only essential staff and competitors attend the events which are limited to 1,000 people on site at any one time.
Testing will also take place ahead of races alongside daily on-site screenings while social distancing and the use of face masks will be actively enforced within limited workforce movement as event populations are defined.
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