Formula E: Drugovich tops Berlin rookie test

FIA Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich (Maserati MSG Racing) set the fastest time at the Berlin Rookie Test; inside the quickest Julius Baer Pole Position effort of the SABIC Berlin E-Prix weekend and just two tenths of a second off the best time set in practice by Maximilian Guenther – in the same car.

The afternoon’s running proved quicker than the morning’s with Drugovic, Victor Martins (Nissan), Zane Maloney (Avalanche Andretti) and Luca Ghiotto (Nissan) all inside Sheldon van der Linde’s benchmark from the opening session.

Current DTM champion and sportscar driver van der Linde couldn’t replicate his earlier pace and ended up in the wall by the Airplane turn with the right front corner and front wing of his Jaguar I-PACE 6 missing. He wound up in 16th this time around.

Drugovich is the incumbent F2 champion and his 1m05.509s lap, set towards the end of the three-hour second session of the day, was only 0.208s slower than the quickest time of the SABIC Berlin E-Prix weekend set by Maximilian Guenther – in the same Maserati MSG Racing Tipo Folgore in Free Practice 2. The time also beat any set in either Rounds 7 or 8 proper.

Reigning FIA Formula 3 champion Martins was a tenth of a second back from Drugovic in the end with FIA Rookie of the Year and current F2 racer Maloney third as the checkered flag was thrown.

Former F2 driver Ghiotto added the fourth fastest time in the afternoon to the second quickest time he sealed in the morning’s running while Scuderia Ferrari reserve driver Robert Schwarzman and Mahindra Racing reserve Jehan Daruvala rounded out the top six runners.

Next up, it’s Monaco for Round 9 of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on 6 May.

Rookie Test Results