Buemi admits da Costa's FE title is “more or less done"
Sebastien Buemi reckons the chance for anyone to catch Antonio Felix da Costa and the DS Techeetah team in the Formula E tight fight is “more or less done”.
The Nissan e.dams driver finished 3s behind da Costa in the second Berlin race after two of the three full-course yellow periods wasted most of his first 235kWh attack mode activation.
A third win in succession for da Costa boosts him to 125 points, 68 clear of nearest rivals Lucas di Grassi and Stoffel Vandoorne, with 120 remaining from the final four races.
With DS Techeetah now leading BMW Andretti by 65 points in the teams’ standings, Buemi said the hopes for anyone to catch the pair were all but extinguished.
“It's more or less done, to be honest, because people cannot really [afford to] finish second and third very consistently,” he said. “So I think for [da Costa], it's more or less done even if he doesn't score many points now… it's going to be OK.
“He just needs to try to go a bit longer like that and he's really under control. I think if there's no issues then for DS Techeetah as well. But, then it's wide open for the rest [of the championship positions].”
The second E-Prix on the reversed Tempelhof Airport circuit marked a strong up-turn in performance for Buemi, given he faded from seventh to fourth in the opening race on Wednesday.
Buemi, the 2015-16 FE champion, credited the improvement on a ‘complete’ set-up change.
“We basically changed the set-up completely for the race,” he added. “We did not look after the rear tyres enough and that cost us a lot yesterday. Unfortunately, I think our energy management yesterday was good, but we couldn't show it just because the car set-up was not good.
“Today we've made a big step, so hopefully we can continue that and I think we will have a shot at fighting against the other guys.”
Buemi also reckoned that he “should have known” not to activate his attack mode early on in the race but was trying to manage battery temperatures aboard the Nissan IM02.
He said: “I got really unlucky with that full-course yellow because I just used the attack mode before that and clearly there was some debris [on track]. I should have known that it was not good to take the attack mode.
“On the other hand, the battery temperature was on the high side and you don't want to take the attack mode too late because it warms the battery up even more.”
Previous article
Berlin E-Prix: Points leader da Costa cruises to victory
Next article
Mercedes' de Vries fined for causing “dangerous situation”
About this article
| Series | Formula E |
| Event | Berlin E-prix II |
| Drivers | Antonio Felix da Costa , Sébastien Buemi |
| Author | Matt Kew |
How Vergne and Vandoorne found redemption in Rome
Another Formula E double-header, another double dose of frantic action. While the form guide remains unpredictable following fightback wins for Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne in Rome, the speed and consistency of Mercedes – both on and off the track – could have its rivals worried for what is to follow
What Nissan's commitment to Gen3 reveals about Formula E's future
Formula E's Gen3 era grid continues to take shape, after Nissan opted to commit to the series for another four years. Nissan's global chief operating officer explains why it has thrown its lot in with FE while other high-profile marques have decided to call it quits.
Why the new Formula E season got off to such a controversial start
With the new Formula E season belatedly getting underway in Saudi Arabia, the championship appeared to try to make up for lost time with an overspill of action and controversy on and off the track. While some talking points could have serious repercussions, it was an explosive opener for many reasons.
The eight major plotlines to watch in Formula E 2021
The delayed 2020-21 Formula E season gets underway this week with a double-header in Saudi Arabia. The testing times were too close to call a favourite, but that's not the only area of interest to follow as the championship enters a crucial year
Why Formula E's 2021 season will be a crucial litmus test
As off-track politics threatens to overshadow events on it, the upcoming Formula E season is perhaps its most important since the championship's inception. And that's a shame, given that the focus should be on what promises to be its closest title fight yet.
How Mercedes and Porsche can avoid a difficult second FE album
Mercedes and Porsche compete to win and have done so across the board: in Formula 1, sportscars, the Dakar Rally and endurance road races - even working together to break land speed records. Next in the crosshairs is the Formula E teams' championship crown.
What Formula E must do for McLaren to act on its attraction
News that McLaren is formally considering a Formula E move is a much-needed boost for a series that took some punches at the end of 2020. But to allay any doubts that Zak Brown may have, FE must take action on its biggest potential stumbling block
Why BMW and Audi have pulled the plug on Formula E
BMW and Audi shocked the Formula E fraternity by announcing their departures at the end of the 2020-21 season. Overnight, the championship has been dealt something of a "wake-up call" - including questions about its relevance to manufacturers.
