Nyck de Vries: “When you start from the back, there’s always the risk of contact”

Nyck de Vries will go into Sunday’s final race of the 2020-21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season still at the top of the Drivers’ Championship despite failing to score a point in Saturday’s first race of the Berlin E-Prix weekend.

The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team driver had a troubled day that began in Qualifying, with the Dutchman starting the first race around the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit from nineteenth on the grid.

He made up a few places and was closing in on the top ten when he made contact with Mahindra Racing’s Alex Lynn, with the incident causing a puncture that required a trip to the pits for repair.  This meant he fell away from the points and ended a lap down in twenty-second place at the chequered flag.

Despite this, he still holds top spot in the standings, but the gaps behind him have closed up, with de Vries only three points ahead of ROKiT Venturi Racing’s Edoardo Mortara, four ahead of BMW i Andretti Motorsport and five ahead of Jaguar Racing’s Mitch Evans.  Fourteen drivers are still mathematically in with a chance of the title heading into Sunday’s race.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to score any points today,” said de Vries.  “We made life difficult for ourselves in qualifying because we qualified at the rear of the field, which affected our entire day.

“When you start from the back, there’s always the risk of contact and of being involved in a collision, and that’s exactly what happened. We were having a good race up until then and could possibly have taken a point, but I got hit by another car. One of my tyre valves was damaged and I had a puncture.

“Shame, but that’s just the way it is. As far as tomorrow goes, it’s heads down and push hard!”