Maximilian Günther returns to Berlin this weekend with confidence high and momentum building, as the German driver prepares for what he considers his second home race of the season alongside Monaco.
Home hero ready to strike
Speaking exclusively to Pit Debrief ahead of the Berlin E-Prix, Günther expressed his enthusiasm for returning to his home circuit and the team’s growing form.
“Racing in Germany is always special for me, and especially here in Berlin. Quite a few home races – two in Monaco, two here. It feels good. I think we’re coming into it with a lot of self-confidence, and I believe we’ve been getting stronger with every race recently. That might not always have been reflected in the results, but the performance and the quality are definitely there, and I’m really looking forward to the races.”
The 28-year-old has good reason for optimism. Berlin holds special significance in his Formula E career – it was here in 2020 that he claimed a memorable victory at his home race, contributing to what would become a landmark season for the championship.
Shanghai success sets the tone
Günther’s confidence stems from his recent dominant performance in Shanghai, where he delivered a masterclass in Formula E racing. After taking a spectacular win at the Jeddah E-Prix earlier in the year, he showed consistent promise during Formula E’s race weekends in Miami, Monaco, and Tokyo.
Despite having a difficult start in Shanghai with a technical issue in FP1, Günther quickly bounced back to showcase his championship credentials.
Come Qualifying, Günther was the class of the field and led the way in Group A to advance to the session’s duel stages. By first defeating Oliver Rowland, and then Nick Cassidy, he progressed into the Final where he vanquished Taylor Barnard by almost 0.4 seconds to claim pole position.
Brilliance in race conditions
Facing an energy critical first race in Shanghai, Günther strategically sacrificed his lead on the first lap to settle into a saving rhythm but by measuring his pace, ensured that he was a consistent presence inside the top five, always ready to pounce.
On lap 13, the German rolled the strategy dice by taking Pit Boost – a mandatory 600kW energy boost providing a 10% increase in energy – and immediately activated his first of two Attack Modes upon rejoining the circuit.
With the benefit of added power, Günther sliced his way through the field and snatched the net-race lead from Rowland on lap 18 before ascending to the head of the pack once the pit phase of the race was complete.
Günther used his second Attack Mode to strengthen his hold on the position, but despite falling to fourth, carved his way back up the order. Returning to first on lap 26, he extended his lead to take a dominant win while leading home a landmark first-ever 1-2 finish for DS PENSKE in Formula E, with team-mate, Jean-Eric Vergne, finishing second.
Learning from difficult situations
The following round proved more challenging, with extreme wet weather causing heavy disruptions to Round 11. Following the cancellation of FP3, Günther started from ninth after the duel stages of Qualifying were also cancelled due to poor track conditions.
Günther made a good start to the race and ran as high as sixth by taking Attack Mode early, but was forced to retire with a battery issue on lap 20.
When asked about his takeaways from the recent challenging races in Asia, Günther highlighted the team’s strong dry weather performance whilst acknowledging the valuable wet weather experience gained.
“I think in dry conditions, we’ve shown really strong performance. The last race in Shanghai was fantastic for us, and overall the Asia races were quite successful. There were a lot of wet races, and we’ve gathered a lot of experience we can now build on.”
“I also believe that our package works well here. But of course, it’s a big challenge to get everything perfectly in sync. The last one or two sessions weren’t the easiest for us, but we know what matters, and I’m really looking forward to this weekend – especially if it stays dry.”
Mentoring role
With the Rookie Test taking place alongside the Berlin weekend, Günther will also be working alongside Daniil Kvyat and Nikita Bedrin, offering guidance to the next generation of Formula E talent.
“Yeah, I mean, I know Daniil well – we’re friends, and we sometimes hang out in Monaco. And Nikita, we’ve seen him a few times now in the simulator – he’s doing a great job, he’s a super quick young guy. I wish both of them lots of fun and success on Monday because it’s an important day for us as a team. It’s all about using the test day effectively, learning a lot, and gaining insights for the future.”
