Fomula E - Nyck de Vries secures title in crazy season finale in Berlin as Norman Nato wins his first ePrix
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Updated 15/08/2021 at 17:42 GMT
A number of leading contenders failed to mount a challenge in a chaotic end to the season in Berlin dominated by crashes and incident. De Vries held his nerve despite taking contact on more than one occasion to cling on to the Drivers' Championship and also secure Teams' triumph for Mercedes-EQ, with team mate Stoffel Vandoorne third in the final race of the season.
'What a disaster' - title contenders Evans and Mortara in dramatic startline crash
Nyck de Vries survived a chaotic, crazy season finale to secure the 2020-21 Formula E Drivers' Championship.
The Mercedes-EQ driver twice collided with other cars during the course of a dramatic last race of the season in Berlin, but came home safely in eighth place to secure victory.
A number of his rivals failed to push for overall victory despite a congested field at the top of the Championship standings in a race dominated by crashes and incident.
Norman Nato (Rokit Venturi Racing) claimed his first ever ePrix victory with an outstanding maiden win having started sixth.
The Frenchman came home ahead of Great Britain's Oliver Rowland and de Vries' Belgian team mate Stoffel Vandoorne, who completed the podium.
That helped Mercedes also claim the teams' championship at the end of the first season that Formula E has been recognised as a World Championship by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
Vandoorne had started the race on pole, joined by Rowland (Nissan e.dams) on the front row.
Of the main protagonists, it was Mitch Evans of Jaguar who again looked in good form, qualifying third after beginning the day five points behind de Vries.
Yet there was disaster at the start as Evans failed to move after a fault to his car, inadvertently removing both himself and another title rival from contention.
Edoardo Mortara (second at the start, three points behind de Vries) thudded into the back of the Jaguar in his Rokit Venturi car, ending their races before they had even managed to cross the start line.
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'What a disaster' - title contenders Evans and Mortara in dramatic startline crash
The race was red flagged with both drivers appearing to extract themselves from their cars without major injury.
"I am fine. We seemed to have some sort of failure after the launch," Evans explained after returning to his team. "I had an alarm and the car basically just stopped.
"Edoardo [Mortara] had nowhere to go. I feel for him as well. It was obviously over before it could start.
"It was not meant to be this year. I am gutted for the whole team, but it is going to take a while for the pain to ease."
There was further drama soon after the restart as Jake Dennis of BMW's race was ended just two laps into the title decider.
Dennis had also been well placed with a four point deficit to the Dutchman de Vries, but would also fail to mount a challenge.
De Vries himself twice took contact but survived with his car in sufficient shape to see him over the line in eighth place.
Teammate Vandoorne's third-place finish also allowed Mercedes to secure the Teams' Championship to the delight of team principal Toto Wolff.
"I am lost for words. I am starting to get a little emotional," said de Vries.
"I was a bit of a target out there. I think we deserve this. I am super happy for the team. We've experienced so many highs and lows this year.
"It's been such a tough season. Everything came down to the last race.
"We had a lot of fortune on our side today with everything that happened. I am glad everyone is ok."
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