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Unpredictable First Race In Berlin Sees Contact Ruin Results For Maserati MSG Racing Drivers
Jake Hughes and Stoffel Vandoorne were in promising positions during the race at Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit. However, contact with Antonio Felix da Costa and Oliver Rowland disrupted their chances of securing strong finishes. Despite their efforts for Maserati MSG Racing, these incidents affected their final standings.
The first race faced heavy rain, causing disruptions and leading to the cancellation of the second practice session. This adverse weather also impacted qualifying, which was shortened by removing the duels portion. The grid was set based on group lap times, with Mitch Evans from Group A taking pole position.
Both Jake Hughes and Stoffel Vandoorne were in Group B during qualifying. Jake secured P2 in his group, starting P4 overall, while Stoffel started P12. As the track dried slightly, there was potential for good results. Unfortunately, both drivers lost positions at the start due to tricky conditions.
During the race, both drivers took early Attack Modes to gain positions. Their Pit Boost windows came midway through the race. An incident involving David Beckman brought out a Safety Car, providing an opportunity for Jake and Stoffel to push for points.
Porsche's Antonio Felix da Costa misjudged his Attack Mode exit, colliding with Jake Hughes and spinning him around. Although Jake continued racing, this incident ended his top-five charge. Da Costa received a time penalty for causing the collision.
Stoffel Vandoorne faced a similar fate when Oliver Rowland collided with him during an attempt to pass another car in Turn 6. This incident sent Stoffel to the back of the field despite his efforts to recover using Attack Mode.
Driver Reflections on Race Performance
"Today was a tale of two halves," said Jake Hughes. "We were very strong in qualifying... Unfortunately, the pace we had in qualifying wasn’t there in the race... Sadly, I got spun around by another car and that was basically game over from a point scoring position."
"We had an unfortunate end to the race," commented Stoffel Vandoorne. "I got t-boned by Rowland that dropped me right back... Top five would have been a nice finish to a tricky day."
Team Insights and Future Prospects
Cyril Blais noted that qualifying went well for Jake but acknowledged challenges during the race start. "We switched to an energy-focused strategy... When the Safety Car came towards the end of the race we were in a good position," he explained.
Maria Conti highlighted Berlin's unpredictability as a learning opportunity: "Every round is a real challenge... We are already focused on tomorrow's race and will continue our journey towards Maserati's centenary in motorsport with renewed confidence."
Maserati MSG Racing aims to improve performance in upcoming races despite setbacks faced during this eventful day at Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit.
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