Felipe Drugovich secured his first Formula E points on debut, finishing seventh in a dramatic second race at the Berlin E-Prix that saw Oliver Rowland crowned world champion. The Brazilian driver navigated a chaotic encounter that featured two safety car periods and multiple strategic battles to bring his car home in the points on what had been a challenging weekend.
Breakthrough performance after difficult start
The former Formula 2 champions’ weekend had been far from smooth sailing before Sunday’s breakthrough result. After struggling with various issues throughout practice and qualifying, and facing penalties from the opening race, Drugovich finally found his rhythm when it mattered most.
“It feels good. It was a very difficult weekend until now,” Drugovich reflected after the race. “Kudos to the team for helping me out and taking us out of some issues that we had throughout the whole weekend. It wasn’t so easy for me. And also many penalties from last race.”
The seventh-place finish represented a significant turnaround for the Brazilian, who had endured a steep learning curve as he adapted to the unique challenges of Formula E racing. Energy management proved to be the key factor in his successful points debut.
“So finally, I got to do an energy-saving race. Because yesterday it wasn’t really like that. And finish it in the points with the car in one piece. That’s the most important thing. So I’m happy with it.” Drugovich explained.
Learning curve in championship debut
The race itself proved to be a masterclass in Formula E’s strategic complexity, with drivers constantly juggling energy consumption whilst battling for position in a tightly-packed field. For Drugovich, reading the race presented its own unique challenges as he attempted to navigate his first Formula E weekend.
The Brazilian was honest about the difficulties he faced in understanding the tactical nuances that separate Formula E from other categories of motorsport.
“It’s very, very complicated to understand and read the race when you’re so new to the championship,” Drugovich admitted. “And see who’s on attack, who’s not, who has more energy and what to do at that pace. I think it was a good performance, but I think you can do a lot better if you just keep going.”
Race drama provides opportunity
Sunday’s race was punctuated by dramatic incidents that reshaped the running order multiple times. Two safety car periods – first for Sebastian Buemi’s stranded Envision and later for the collision between Sam Bird and Nico Müller – provided strategic opportunities for drivers to deploy their attack modes at optimal moments.
The chaotic nature of the race ultimately played into Drugovich’s hands, allowing him to capitalise on the misfortune of others whilst maintaining a disciplined approach to energy management. His seventh-place finish came in a race won by Nick Cassidy, who had climbed from 18th position following the final safety car intervention.
Building for the future
Despite the challenging introduction to Formula E, Drugovich’s points finish provides a solid foundation upon which to build Mahindra’s championship campaign. His measured approach to the weekend’s difficulties, combined with his willingness to learn from the experienced team around him, suggests better results could be on the horizon.
The Brazilian’s debut weekend may have been fraught with difficulties, but his ability to deliver when the pressure was on demonstrates the qualities that made him a champion in Formula 2. With greater understanding of Formula E’s intricacies likely to come with experience, Drugovich’s points finish in Berlin could prove to be the first of many in his electric racing career.
As the championship moves towards its final double-header, Drugovich will take confidence from proving he can compete at this level, even whilst still learning the ropes of one of motorsport’s most tactically demanding series.
