Formula E: Latest News and Miscellaneous Info from Berlin

• Lucas di Grassi on the Red Carpet at Film Festival in Cannes
• Daniel Abt meets DJ duo Pan-Pot at Club OST
• Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler with 1,000 guests

Formula E is visiting Germany this weekend (Saturday live on “Das Erste” and on Eurosport starting at 12:50 PM CEST). However, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler was also represented at the Film Festival in Cannes on Thursday.

Before the E-Prix in Berlin, Lucas di Grassi made an appearance on the Red Carpet at the Film Festival in Cannes. The Audi driver is one of the protagonists in the “And We Go Green” documentary about Formula E that was produced by Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio, Fisher Stevens and Malcolm Venville. The film celebrated its world premiere in Cannes on Thursday night.

TV channel CNN accompanied Audi driver Daniel Abt to Club OST on Wednesday, where the Audi driver met with the hip DJ duo Pan-Pot. The two showed the music enthusiast how to professionally deejay techno music. 

To prevent a clash with the DFB Cup final between long-time Audi partner FC Bayern München and RB Leipzig, the Formula E race in Berlin will already start at 1 PM (live on “Das Erste”) on Saturday, as a matter of exception. The two free practice sessions were moved up to Friday. On Saturday morning at 8.45, the drivers will go directly into qualifying without another practice session. 

Two management board members of AUDI AG – Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler (Technical Development) and Wendelin Göbel (HR and Organization) – will watch the Formula E race live trackside. CEO Klaus Rosenfeld, Matthias Zink (CEO Automotive), Uwe Wagner (future Chief Technology Officer), Jochen Schröder (President E-Mobility) and Tim Hosenfeldt (Senior Vice President Innovation) are in Berlin from technology partner Schaeffler. In total, the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team is hosting 1,000 guests in Berlin, who are filling an entire grandstand at the beginning of the start-finish straight. 

For the first time this year, the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo has been deployed at a Formula E event. The futuristic electric race car is driven by Rahel Frey. Singer Andreas Bourani is her celebrity passenger on Saturday.

Former boxing pro Arthur Abraham is keeping his fingers crossed for the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team at its home round. The multiple world champion lives in Berlin and is a great motorsport enthusiast. 

At the same time as the E-Prix, the Green Tech Festival initiated by Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg is taking place at Berlin-Tempelhof. The exhibition is centered on sustainable living and the future of mobility. Also on display, in Hall 5, is a prototype of the “Pop.Up Next.” The novel flying taxi concept from Audi, Airbus and Italdesign combines a self-driving electric car with a passenger drone.

Audi Germany is presenting the Audi e-tron*, the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo, the Audi PB18 e-tron electric sports car concept and the Audi e-tron FE05 from Formula E in the trackside E-Village at the Berlin E-Prix. In addition, the Audi e-tron Playground offers an eScooter course, virtual Playstation races and Bobby Cars for the youngest visitors. On innovative swings, visitors can even help supply the playground with electric power.

After the E-Prix, Audi’s guests on Saturday night will directly move on to the Audi City on Berlin’s Kurfürstendamm Avenue, where they will be watching a live broadcast of the DFB Cup final.

In Berlin, Daniel Abt is racing with a special helmet design in commemoration of his “grand slam” last year. At his home round, the Audi driver in 2018 clinched pole position, victory and set the fastest race lap.

Roger Köhler, Team Manager of Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, answered questions from a group of young women on Thursday. With the visit of its Girls on Track – Dare to be Different event to Formula E, the FIA shows what professional opportunities motorsport offers to young women. In addition, Berlin is hosting the annual FIA Volunteers Weekend with which the FIA thanks the many volunteers for their work.

Former Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Basche is visiting his first Formula E race in Berlin.