NextEV TCR driver Oliver Turvey will miss the 2016 Berlin race due to a clash with another series, reports Autosport.

The British driver, who has been outperforming team mate and reigning champion Nelson Piquet, also competes in the Super GT category with Honda. A clash of fixtures means Turvey, who is in his debut Formula E season, has had to choose between the two, with the Japanese series coming out on top.

The team has confirmed the news, revealing that Ben Hanley will replace him for the fixture.

McLaren Formula 1 test driver Oliver Turvey will miss the Berlin Formula E round after renewing his factory Super GT deal with Honda.

Turvey, 28, made his Super GT debut last year with the Drago Modulo team and had a second season confirmed in late February.

Because his initial contract with Honda predated his move into FE for season two, Turvey will prioritise the Autopolis Super GT round that clashes with the German FE race on May 21.

“We want to give him the opportunity to go for Super GT because that’s part of the original deal from before,” said Steven Lu, NextEV TCR team boss. “We can try some different drivers in the simulator, we’ve got a few in mind, and maybe we find a driver who can be in Berlin and also tries our future cars.”

“It’s great to be able to race with a manufacturer and the car level is very high, it’s like a prototype-GT,” Turvey said. “It’s a really competitive level, there’s a lot to learn when you race in Japan, the car is tricky to drive, there’s tyre development, and the tracks are challenging.”

autosport.com