Clash of dates with the WEC, several driver changes in Berlin

Envision and Mahindra will field different driver pairs for the Berlin E-Prix, due to a clash of dates with the Belgian round of the World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

Published on 11/04/2024 à 11:02

Michael Duforest

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Clash of dates with the WEC, several driver changes in Berlin

© Mahindra Racing

At Mahindra Racing, Jordan King will take the wheel replacing Nyck de Vries. The Dutchman is indeed participating in the WEC with the stable Toyota, and this commitment takes precedence over that in Formula E. Two races will be contested during the German weekend, but the FIA ​​regulations specifying that these two races are part of the same event, the drivers entered in the WEC will not be able to return on Sunday to contest the second race, despite the holding on Saturday of the 6 Hours of Spa.

King will also be behind the wheel this weekend in Misano, during the free practice session reserved for rookies, which will allow him to gain experience in preparation for his first start in the discipline. The Briton rose through the ranks to Formula 2, before playing a season ofIndyCar, and to drive in LMP2 at 24 Hours of Le Mans. Since 2020, he has been a reserve and development driver for Mahindra.

Duo 100% renewed for Envision

For the Envision Racing team, the consequence is twofold, since its two drivers, Sébastien Buemi and Robin Frijns, are involved in WEC programs, in the Hypercar category. The first has been one of the pillars of the Toyota team since the start of the program in 2012, and the second driver for BMW, which is making its comeback in the premier category.

It is therefore with a brand new duo of drivers, composed of Joel Erikson and Paul Aron that the team will present itself in Berlin. Erikson, who is Jaguar's test and development driver, has been loaned to Envision and arrives with a background of eight races already contested in the category. For Paul Aron, it's a new experience, with the Estonian currently in second place in the F2 championship.

“This is a very unusual situation for us as a team, and we are obviously frustrated that the calendar conflict could not be resolved by the FIA ​​and Formula E”, declared Sylvain Filippi, director of Envision Racing. “However, we have to make the best of the situation, and I think with Joel and Paul we have two very exciting and competitive drivers. »

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