Nyck de Vries finally returns to the scene of his greatest Formula E triumph this weekend, with the Mahindra Racing driver lining up at Tempelhof for the first time since scheduling conflicts forced him to miss the last two Berlin E-Prix weekends.
The Dutchman, who clinched the FIA Formula E World Championship title at this very venue in Season 7, spoke to Pit Debrief ahead of FP1 about his return, his realistic goals for the double-header, and the future of one of Formula E’s most historic circuits.
A welcome return to a familiar stage
Berlin holds plenty of fond memories for de Vries, and not only because of the championship he sealed here. He cast his mind back to one of the standout team results of his Mercedes-EQ era as he reflected on his return.
“Actually in 2022, we had a top class result here in Berlin. On Sunday we won the race and Edo [Mortara] finished second, Stoffel [Vandoorne] finished third. So we had a kind of cool Mercedes lockout,” de Vries told Pit Debrief in the media pen.
He admits, however, that the championship has moved on since his last visit, and that the demands of racing at Tempelhof have only grown.
“It’s nice to be back. The track has changed. I’ve seen the races from the past and they look extremely eventful and very challenging to manage inside the car. It’s a lot about energy and timing. I mean, the goal probably has evolved in that direction anyway, but I think this track in particular is probably even more exposed to that.”
A six-week break since the inaugural Madrid round has given the entire grid time to reset, and de Vries is keen to get back behind the wheel.
“But I’m happy, you know, happy to be here. Been a bit of a break since Jarama, so yeah, looking forward to go out and race again. The weather is nice, so yeah, looking forward to what we can achieve.”
A clear and realistic goal
When asked what success looks like across the weekend, de Vries kept his answer refreshingly straightforward. With Mahindra Racing currently third in the Teams’ Championship and momentum on their side, banking points twice over would be a strong return from the German double-header.
“Two times solid points. I think that is realistic and should be the top.”
The Tempelhof question
Discussions about Tempelhof’s long-term future on the Formula E calendar continue to circulate, particularly with the arrival of Gen4 machinery on the horizon. De Vries believes the championship would not be short of replacement venues if the time came to move on, although he sees no immediate need to do so.
“I think there are a lot of opportunities. I think there are a lot of great countries and tracks out there. We’ve come here many years and yeah, I think we can find all the venues if that is necessary or if that’s what we wish to do.”
He does, however, foresee Tempelhof’s layout needing adjustments to accommodate the next generation of faster cars.
“But either way, I think it will be fine. I think the track should probably change when we go to Gen 4 just because of the speeds of the cars.”
Pressed on which venue he would personally like to see added to the calendar, de Vries pointed to one of motorsport’s most famous street circuits.
“Wish track to add? I mean, I never raced there, but Macau would be great.”
A home race in the Netherlands
A home race in the Netherlands also surfaced in conversation, and the 31-year-old hinted that one may be closer to reality than fans might think.
“I think it’s in the pipeline anyway. So there is a good chance that that will happen. Obviously, we don’t know, but let’s say I know that they are further advanced with that than in Macau. Let’s put it that way. So it’s a little bit more than a wish. It’s a realistic hope.”
For now, however, his focus sits firmly on Tempelhof. With Mahindra Racing carrying genuine pace into the weekend and teammate Edoardo Mortara sitting second in the Drivers’ Championship, de Vries has every reason to believe the Berlin E-Prix can deliver the points haul he is targeting.
