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MEDIA INFORMATION
Berlin, May 23, 2015
2014/2015 FIA FORMULA E CHAMPIONSHIP
Berlin ePrix
The MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV outsmarts the Berlin concrete!
Round 8 of the 2014/2015 FIA Formula E Championship took place to the atypical backdrop
of Berlin’s former Tempelhof Airport where the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV lived up every bit to
its reputation.
While the venue was particularly appreciated by spectators and the teams, the track itself
turned out to be one of the most delicate of the season for tyres. Due to the relative lack of
traffic, the twisty 17-turn, 2.47km course was dusty and dirty early in the day, not to mention
the abrasive nature of its concrete slabs. At the same time, its width allowed the drivers to
run three abreast in places and also led to repeated heavy braking and hard acceleration.
Combined, these ingredients stood out as a big challenge for the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV
tyre which features a grooved tread pattern.
“The track evolved as the day progressed,” reported Serge Grisin, manager of Michelin’s
Formula E programme. “The conditions improved and, although we knew the surface would
be tough on tyres, we believed we would be able to contain the phenomenon of wear. And
that’s exactly what happened. None of the drivers reported the slightest problem with their
tyres and we are delighted to have risen so successfully to what was a sizeable challenge.
Not only is the MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV competitive but it was also designed to be durable
and today’s race provided further evidence of its extraordinary versatility.”
The first free practice session was dominated by Switzerland’s Sébastien Buemi (e.damsRenault), while the second was topped by Brazilian Luca di Grassi (Audi Sport Abt).
However, it was Italy’s Jarno Trulli (Trulli Racing) who caused the surprise in qualifying by
securing his first pole position of the championship, ahead of di Grassi and Buemi.
Germany’s best-placed representative Nick Heidfeld (Venturi) earned the other slot on the
second row.
The start of the race itself saw Trulli go wide at Turn 2, which enabled Di Grassi to take
control and defend his lead until the chequered flag. But few hours after the end of the race,
the Brazilian was excluded by FIA decision, because his car failed post-race scrutineering
where it was discovered that the front wing fairings had been modified to include internal
metal reinforcing rods.
In Di Grassi’s wake, there was plenty of dicing and overtaking. At the end of the day, Jérôme
d’Ambrosio (Dragon Racing) is the winner; Swiss-man Sebastién Buemi is second and Loïc
Duval (Dragon Racing) claims third position.
The MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV tyre, which was designed especially for the Formula E
Championship, has a number of special features:
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Size: the interior diameter of 18 inches is comparable with that used by many road
cars and this promises to facilitate and speed up the carry-over of technology from
the race track to the street. Formula E is the first FIA-sanctioned single-seater racing
series to use tyres of this size.
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Tread: like a road-going sports tyre, and even though it was designed for racing, the
MICHELIN Pilot Sport EV features a tread pattern that allows it to race in Formula E
in all weather conditions.
Longevity: the cars are only authorised to use a single set of tyres for free practice,
qualifying and the race itself. Permitted spares are carried over from the previous
race to minimise the number of tyres that need to be made and shipped.
The next round of the 2014/2015 Formula E Championship will take teams to Moscow,
Russia, on June 6.
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