Dan Ticktum heads to Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport circuit looking to banish last year’s struggles

British driver Dan Ticktum heads to Berlin’s ‘unique’ Tempelhof Airport circuit for Formula E’s double-header race weekend hoping to banish last year’s struggles 

  • British driver already posted more points this season than he did all of last term
  • Dan Ticktum hoping last year’s experience can help him this time around
  • Formula E heads to Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport circuit for ‘unique’ race 

British driver Dan Ticktum hopes his experience around Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport circuit will give him the edge over his competition when Formula E returns to the German capital for a double-header race weekend.

Ticktum, 23, has already posted more Championship points after the opening six rounds of this season than he managed in the entirety of the 2022 campaign and recorded his best race finish of sixth in Cape Town back in February.

Despite a poor performance at last year’s race in Berlin, Ticktum is confident that he will be better equipped to tackle the demands of the track this time round.

‘I struggled there last year, I think, to be brutally honest,’ admitted Ticktum. ‘I think it’s a hard one for me, because a lot of the other drivers have obviously been in Formula E for five or six years.

‘I think the track does reward experience [and] I do feel more confident going back there now. I like the fact that we’re going in the same direction both days, because it gives me a bit of a chance to build on a bit of momentum from day to day. But there’s some good, combined braking zones, which might be quite good for our car, so I’m optimistic.’

British driver Dan Ticktum is looking to use last season’s struggles to his advantage this time around

The Tempelhof Airport circuit has been described as 'unique' among Formula E tracks

The Tempelhof Airport circuit has been described as ‘unique’ among Formula E tracks 

Porsche 99X Electric and ex-Formula One driver Pascal Wehrlein heads into his home race at the top of the standings. He boasts a 24-point cushion over Brit Jake Dennis, who sits in second.

That could all change this weekend at the Tempelhof circuit, which is regarded as one of the toughest tests in the calendar for drivers.

While Tempelhof Airport officially closed its doors to passengers in 2008, the high-grip concrete slabs which originally made up the runway remain. 

Former Formula One Pascal Wehrlein heads into his home race at the top of the standings

Former Formula One Pascal Wehrlein heads into his home race at the top of the standings

The challenging surface demands that teams think carefully about the setup of their cars to achieve optimum performance.

‘Berlin is a unique race event for the championship [with] some long and fast corners and an unusual track surface,’ said Jaguar TCS Racing technical manager Phil Charles. ‘I call the surface “pebblemac” as it is actually made up of large concrete blocks with stones – the pebbles – pressed into the top surface.

‘These stones are aggressive on the tyres and although it is a short lap, the percentage of time spent cornering is quite high so car setups need to compliment the corner type. It’s a tricky energy management race so there is plenty to think about in Berlin but it’s a great track to go to.’

Watch the 2023 SABIC Berlin E-Prix live on terrestrial television on Channel 4 at 13:30 BST on Saturday 22 April and Sunday 23 April.

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