FIA Formula E diary: Daniel Abt live from Berlin

After visits to circuits in Asia and the Americas as well as Monaco, FIA Formula E is about to make its debut in Germany where the series and Team ABT Sportsline have already built up a solid fan base. The DHL Berlin ePrix will be held on the airfield at Tempelhof. The narrow track winds its way around 17 corners over a distance of 2.47 kilometres. In his exclusive diary on DHL InMotion, Daniel Abt shares some insights into his race weekend.

Saturday 23rd May 2015
It’s almost time
The grandstands are gradually filling up. It won’t be long until the racing starts. I’ve scored points five times already this season and made one podium appearance – that’s where I intend to finish today. Also, we are currently second in the team standings, so we’re aiming to get a good result today, which will give a solid foundation for our title challenge in the final part of the season. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Friday 22nd May 2015
FanBoost please
As with all FIA Formula E races, you can club together on Twitter to give your favourite driver a FanBoost which consists of 30kW extra for five seconds. So as this is my home race, I’m obviously counting on your support. Please vote for me on fanboost.fiaformulae.com to improve my chances of getting a decent result.

Thursday 21st May 2015
Staying on in Formula E
In the context of my home race in Berlin, the team announced that we are going to carry on working together. Formula E is developing at a tremendous pace, with exciting races and lots of really cool ideas off the track. I believe that this series has a great future ahead of it. I am delighted to remain on board, and I intend to grow with Formula E. It obviously makes me very proud to be a member of an outfit that bears the name of our family. 

Thursday 21st May 2015
Visit the Formula E eVillage
The Formula E eVillage has also been set up in Berlin. This is an urban festival zone buzzing with activities and entertainments relevant to the FIA Formula E Championship and the themes of innovation and technology, sustainability and wellbeing. One special attraction is a full-size interactive augmented reality model of the Formula E racing car which visitors can investigate for themselves, either by means of touch screen devices or their own mobile device via a free app. I would be delighted if you were to call in at the eVillage – a visit is well worthwhile! Lucas and I will pay a visit to the DHL booth on Saturday at 1:45pm.

Thursday 21st May 2015
Great experience 
I’ve already familiarised myself fully with the track on the team simulator. At maximum power, which I’ll be using in qualifying, I put in a virtual lap of 01:24 minutes. Although there are plenty of corners to negotiate, the track flows well and has a lot of really interesting sections. With it being such a compact circuit set against the backdrop of the former aircraft hangars and of the grandstands, it’s almost like competing in a stadium. That’s a great experience for drivers and spectators alike.Wednesday 20th May 2015

Highlight of the season
The DHL Berlin ePrix is the absolute highlight of the season for me. Obviously, our team and I are attracting a great deal of attention, but we don’t regard that as added pressure – it simply gives us a greater impetus. I can certainly sense the steady increase in popularity of Formula E, and I’m pleased to be a part of this family. Great teams, good drivers, sensational venues. It was absolutely the right decision for me to enter Formula E.