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Stoffel Vandoorne
Free Practice One // P21
Free Practice Two // CANCELLED
Qualifying // P12 [1:12.502, Group B]
Race // P12
Positions Gained // 0
Fastest Lap // 1:00.348
Championship Position // P13 [50 points]
Jake Hughes
Free Practice One // P17
Free Practice Two // CANCELLED
Qualifying // P4 [1:11.344, Group B]
Race // P14
Positions Gained // -10
Fastest Lap // 1:01.965
Championship Position // P15 [39 points]
Maserati MSG Racing
Championship Position // P8 [89 points]
Rain fell heavily for the first race at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit, causing disruptions to the race programme. Both Jake Hughes and Stoffel Vandoorne put in valiant efforts for Maserati MSG Racing but unfortunately contact with other drivers out with their control ensured that the results were not reflective of their performances during the race.
Second practice was cancelled due to the adverse weather which was still hanging around come qualifying. The qualifying session was cut short, removing the duels portion and setting the grid on the group lap times. Whichever group held the overall fastest lap time would take pole, and that group would set the odd numbered side of the grid.
Both Jake and Stoffel were in Group B, and with track evolution high as the track dried slightly, the opportunity for a good result was there. Jake claimed P2 in Group B, Stoffel P6, and as Jaguar’s Mitch Evans took the fastest overall lap time in Group A, it meant they would line up P4 and P12 respectively.
Jake’s start wasn’t great as the lights went out, getting swarmed into Turn 1. He was lucky to get through the corner incident free, but he lost four positions, having to look for a way back up the grid. Stoffel’s start wasn’t too bad, but in the mid field he too was focused on survival. The track conditions were still damp, with rain hovering in the air, and off the racing line was still treacherous.
Jake and Stoffel took an early Attack Mode to try and make up positions, with their Pit Boost windows coming around halfway through the race. Abt Lola’s David Beckman had an incident just after the Pit Boost windows which brought out the Safety Car. With an Attack Mode left each, Jake and Stoffel were looking in a good place to push on for points, both eyeing up top five finishes.
Most of the top five dove in for their Attack Mode, moving Jake up to podium contention. Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa got his Attack Mode exit wrong, tagging the back of Jake and spinning him around. He was able to continue, but that put an end to his top five charge, falling out of points contention next lap as he took his final Attack Mode. Da Costa was given a time penalty for causing the collision, but the damage was done to Jake’s race.
There was a similar fate in store for Jake’s team mate Stoffel who was spun around by Nissan’s Oliver Rowland at the same point in the race. Rowland was passing another car in Turn 6 when he lost it on the wet part of the track and careered into the side of Stoffel. He too was able to continue, but with the pack still bunched after the Safety Car it sent him to the back of the field. Despite a valiant fight back with Attack Mode, he was unable to get back into a scoring position.
Maserati MSG Racing go again tomorrow for the second race in Berlin and will hope to be back in a position to fight for points when the chequered flag falls at Templehof.
Jake Hughes, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing: “Today was a tale of two halves. We were very strong in qualifying, getting P2 in group which meant we started P4. I felt really comfortable with the car and I think if we hadn’t been first to cross the line on the drying track we could have challenged for pole, if not definitely the fastest in group. It was really positive heading into the race, and I felt like we were in a good position to fight for points, if not a podium. Unfortunately, the pace we had in qualifying wasn’t there in the race, we struggled with tyre grip, especially in the wet part of the race at the start. It did put us on the back foot, but the race came back to us after the second Safety Car. We were P6/7 with seven laps to go, still good on energy, and I felt like I could push for a top five finish. Sadly, I got spun around by another car and that was basically game over from a point scoring position. It was a shame, but we have another chance tomorrow to go again. Hopefully we can be as good in the race as we were in qualy.”
Stoffel Vandoorne, Driver, Maserati MSG Racing: “We had an unfortunate end to the race. It was quite lonely at the start, before Pit Boost, and I quickly found myself fighting with Jake again along with Ticktum and Barnard. We played that game for a bit, joined up again after the Pit Boost, but still I had an Attack to take which gave me an advantage. Especially when the Safety Car came out towards the end of the race as it bunched the field back together. We had a great opportunity to make up some ground again, but unfortunately, I got t-boned by Rowland that dropped me right back to the back and ruined my chances. I know it wasn’t his intention to hit me, but it was probably a bit misjudged from him in wet conditions. If you look where Mortara and Barnard finished – the drivers I was fighting with before the spin – third and fifth, it gives an indication of where I could have finished. Top five would have been a nice finish to a tricky day. The wet gives very dynamic conditions and, as a team and driver, you have to be able to adapt to that. Looks like tomorrow is going to be a bit wet again so let’s see what we can do.”
Cyril Blais, Team Principal, Maserati MSG Racing: “Qualifying was decent. Jake did a really good job and we were a bit unlucky that he didn’t get another lap in, just crossing the chequered flag one second too late. The pace was strong in Group B, so to get P2, starting P4 was very good. Stoffel struggled a little bit more and I do think he had more potential, but we have some idea what we could have done differently for him moving forward. Still P12 was starting just outside the points, and we know qualifying isn’t as important here as it is at other tracks, so we were confident of a double point result.
“For the race, it was tricky from the start. Both cars lost positions when the lights went out which compromised our strategies, but we knew it was a long race where a lot could – and did - happen. We switched to an energy focused strategy, looking after our energy at the start knowing that it would get difficult for our competitors towards the end. When the Safety Car came towards the end of the race we were in a good position. Energy was good, Stoffel had an Attack Mode left in the top five, Jake was comfortably in the top seven. I believed we could have challenged for a podium with Stoffel and strong points with Jake, but it was another race of could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. We come back with zero points, and it’s very frustrating with all the hard work everyone put in and all the potential we showed. We go again tomorrow, so we’ll dig deep tonight and look to turn things around in the second race.”
Maria Conti, Head of Maserati Corse: “Berlin proved to be an unpredictable circuit. Every round is a real challenge and an opportunity to learn something, taking with us fundamental lessons to be implemented both on the track and in our product range through a transfer of technologies. Today, we faced challenges, but we remain united. With three races still to go, we continue to work with determination to end the season in the best possible way. We are already focused on tomorrow's race and will continue our journey towards Maserati's centenary in motorsport with renewed confidence and ambition.”
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