Ticktum Defends Actions in Berlin E-Prix Incident

In a dramatic turn of events at the Berlin E-Prix, Dan Ticktum and Stoffel Vandoorne faced off after a high-speed collision that ended both their races. The two drivers were battling for seventh place when Ticktum, driving for NIO 333, widened his steering at Turn 4 just as Vandoorne attempted to overtake.

Dan Ticktum maintained his stance following the crash that terminated both his and DS Penske driver Stoffel Vandoorne’s race in the initial Berlin E-Prix of the two-part weekend event.

The duo was contending for the seventh spot when they crashed at Turn 4, as the NIO 333 driver widened his steering while Vandoorne was about to overtake.

The collision between the two propelled them into the barrier and initiated the second of the two safety car phases during the competition.

The stewards determined Ticktum to be at fault and consequently imposed a five-place grid penalty for the following day’s race. Additionally, Ticktum received two penalty points, putting him just four points shy of a possible race ban.

The 23-year-old had shone in the race’s initial phase, having seized the lead from the fourth position on the grid and maintaining it for multiple laps.

He expressed his disagreement with the steward’s verdict to F1Lead, describing it as “a racing incident” and that one could “argue for and against” the responsibility for the crash.

“I’m sure many other people have placed other drivers in similar situations regardless of their experience level. It’s just racing,” he continued.

“I think that the stewards incorrectly seem to disagree. I won’t say much about my opinion of them at the moment because it won’t be well-received, but they’re mistaken.”

Vandoorne was candid in his assessment of the accident, informing F1Lead:

“It was quite evident from the footage that he opted not to provide me any space,” said Vandoorne.

“He even expanded the steering slightly to push me, but I was entirely alongside.

“I was momentarily ahead going into the turn, and he just chose not to leave any room.”

The DS Penske driver further stated that he “probably should have anticipated (Ticktum squeezing him), but still, you must show respect for others.

“If I have someone beside me and their car is sufficiently aligned with mine, I provide space. You might lose a spot, but you can often regain it quickly in these races.

“You can’t overanalyze the moment; you need to consider the long-term strategy.

“You must be present at the finish line. It’s unfortunate because my race is over, but his race ended as well.”

Ticktum countered by asserting that it was a perilous location for Vandoorne to attempt a maneuver, noting that just before the incident, he “had some contact with Antonio (Felix da Costa) entering Turn 3, so I was slightly out of position and tightly approaching the corner.

“To me, moving further to the right than I did, I provided a few meters, but it was evidently insufficient.”

“The exit is quite narrow, and in my opinion, Vandoorne should have allowed for more space.”

Regarding his impressive start, where he surged from fourth to first, Ticktum mentioned his traction was “very good and everyone seemed to brake early (for Turn 1).

“Although no one wants to lead, and it may not seem as meritorious, I thought it was a solid start.

“I decided to go for it.”

“At the beginning of the race, I under-consumed significantly. I began to fall behind after several laps since I was driving very slowly, knowing that others might under-consume even more. So, I aimed to fall back into the tow, which I managed quite well.”

Dennis and Da Costa’s Berlin E-Prix Collision Debacle

Jake Dennis expressed his confusion about the braking incident that caused a setback for him and his fellow Porsche-powered driver, Antonio Felix da Costa, during the Saturday race in Berlin.

The driver from Avalanche Andretti has been going through a rough patch, as they have failed to score any points in the past four races. As a result, they have dropped from second to fifth place in the current standings, and their recent performance at the track was yet another disappointment.

Dennis was in good shape as the race entered its final 12 laps, with a strong strategy that allowed him to conserve energy early on, despite being held up by high-energy-consuming Maserati drivers Edoardo Mortara and Max Guenther.

However, as Dennis attempted a move on the inside of Guenther’s Maserati at Turn 6, he lost control of the Andretti Porsche and collided with da Costa.

Upon further investigation, F1Lead discovered that no braking fault on the car could be attributed to the incident.

As a result of Dennis pumping the brake pedal, the secondary brake system, introduced in Riyadh in January, was activated. Although this system should reset after a power cycle, it is understood that this was not possible for Dennis, forcing him to pit and lose more time.

After the issue was resolved, Dennis returned to the track and finished last in 18th place, also receiving a five-second time penalty and a penalty point for the incident.

“The rear brakes activated as I was spinning, and we still need to determine the cause of my inability to stop and the subsequent brake issue for the next few laps,” Dennis explained.

“We had to reset the car in the pits, perform a full brake reset, and then it worked.”

Innocent victim da Costa lamented the squandered opportunity to challenge the Jaguar-powered cars, saying, “from my perspective, I’m just going into a corner as I did every other time, and there’s a car coming rearwards into my front axle. Poor timing.”

The driver from Porsche felt that his performance during the race was impressive, considering he began the race from the 19th position on the grid and managed to climb to fourth place before the collision. He attributed his success to the modifications made to the car after a disappointing qualifying session, which aimed to address the issues they faced and account for the track’s changing conditions throughout the race.

“I think we almost perfected it, and the car was very powerful and fast. There are many positives to carry forward to tomorrow,” said da Costa.

Dennis acknowledged the reasoning behind the penalty but disagreed with the rationale.

He expressed his desire to be penalized immediately by saying, “Get me back on track because I want a penalty now.” He clarified that he didn’t want the penalty to be given the next day, as he believed that the authorities wouldn’t take into account the circumstances that led to his collision with Antonio.

The individual believes that the stewards saw the incident as a simple case of him hitting Antonio, resulting in a justifiable penalty. However, they do not concur with the current penalty system’s approach. They had already voiced their concerns about this matter to The Race before the event, bringing up the previous incident involving themselves and Dan in Sao Paulo. They feel that it is odd that one can cause an accident, continue racing, and only then receive a penalty. This statement pertains to the recent occurrence at the Berlin E-Prix, which was an eventful turn of events.

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