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Formula E teams face vote on WEC drivers entering clashing Berlin event
Formula E team principals will vote to decide whether to allow drivers who have a clashing World Endurance Championship commitment to compete in the second Berlin E-Prix in May.
Stefan Mackley
Edited: Mar 16, 2024, 11:22 AM
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The deadline for the electronic vote is due to end at 1600 CET on Saturday, which will ultimately determine whether an FIA regulation that would prevent certain drivers from racing in Berlin can be bypassed.
The unique situation comes as the WEC’s Six Hours of Spa event takes place on 11 May, the same day as the opening Berlin Formula E race, with several drivers contesting dual programmes this season.
A second Berlin race will be held the following day, in theory giving drivers who compete in Belgium the chance to travel to Germany and race in the Formula E sequel.
But an FIA regulation means that the German meeting is considered a sole event despite two races being held, currently making it so teams cannot switch drivers between the two races unless the decision is unanimously agreed by all 11 teams.
A statement from the FIA read: “As the Berlin E-Prix is a competition comprised of two races as set out in Article 5.5, a change of driver after the end of the administrative checks is not authorised except in case of force majeure and with the authorisation of the stewards in accordance with Articles 19.1 and 24.15.
“Therefore, it is necessary to grant these drivers special authorisation and the unanimous agreement of competitors is necessary.”
Seven drivers have joint Formula E and WEC commitments this season, including both Envision racers Sebastien Buemi and Robin Frijns, both DS Penske drivers Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne, Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara from Mahindra, as well as Abt’s Nico Muller.
Both Vergne and Vandoorne confirmed they would prioritise Formula E over WEC in the event of the clash, while it’s understood that Mortara will also commit to the Berlin double-header.
It leaves the remaining four drivers - who, although not confirmed, are believed to be prioritising the WEC - seeking approval from all 11 teams to race on the 12 May in Berlin.
Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director, Envision Racing
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Speaking ahead of the vote and prior to the Sao Paulo E-Prix this weekend, Envision team principal Sylvain Filippi told Motorsport.com: “I think it’s a bit shooting ourselves in the foot clashing.
“Put it this way, I don’t see a lot of advantages of clashing, but I see a lot of disadvantages.
“A lot of drivers enjoy doing both because it’s a different style of racing but they enjoy both equally because they are fun in different ways.
“I will be a bit disappointed if longer term it keeps happening because it means we might not have as many drivers in each championship that are so amazing to watch and work with.
“We were led to believe that the situation would be sorted last year, it wasn’t which was disappointing.”
This is the second time in 10 years that the WEC and Formula E calendars have clashed on the same weekend.
In that instance, the New York Formula E double-header clashed with the Six Hours of Nurburgring with Buemi prioritising the latter, which ultimately cost him a chance of defending his Formula E crown.
No firm date has been made official yet on when the decision of the e-vote will be announced.
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