Sam Bird says he will head to Berlin for the final two races of the 2020-21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship focused on clean races after retiring from both of his home E-Prix in London last month.
The Jaguar Racing driver comes into the final two races of the season at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit sitting third in the Drivers’ Championship standings, just fourteen points behind current leader Nyck de Vries of Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team. He will also be in group one of Qualifying for Saturday’s first race.
Bird, the only driver in Formula E history to win a race in every season, admits going off in that first group on Saturday will make for a difficult weekend, but he will be eyeing up two strong results as he bids to become champion for the first time.
“Entering the final weekend of a Formula E season sitting third in the teams’ and drivers’ championship with Jaguar Racing is a great place to be,” said Bird. “Saturday will be tough from group one and with the penalty so I will be focused on a clean race.
“After the intensity of London, I am just going to enjoy my racing and take each session as it comes. It has been a great first year with Jaguar and we are all aiming to end on a positive.”
“The final race weekend of the season is always an important one” – Mitch Evans
Team-mate Mitch Evans sits eighth in the standings heading into the season finale, with the New Zealander still with championship ambitions of his own.
Evans sits only six points behind Bird and twenty off de Vries and is one of a large number of drivers who can still mathematically win the title this weekend. He goes off in group two in Qualifying.
Having recently signed an extension to his contract with Jaguar, Evans says the team have done a lot of homework and research heading into the final weekend of the season as he looks to fight at the front of the field in both races.
“I’ve been with the team for five years now and am so proud of the position we find ourselves in heading to the final races of the year,” said Evans. “Every single member of the team has put in long hours and dedication to get us to this point and rounds 14 and 15 will be no different.
“The final race weekend of the season is always an important one – but so were the other 13 to get us here – as a team we will approach the weekend with the same attitude.
“We know the Berlin Tempelhof circuit well and have done plenty of preparation and head to the weekend with a positive and optimistic mindset.”
Mitch Evans may sit eighth in the standings but he still is one of a large number of drivers still in contention for the Formula E title – Credit: Andy Hone / LAT Images