Berlin is set to host the eighth round of the Formula E championship this weekend. The German round of the championship will be the first race that does not actually take place on the streets of the city. The Berlin ePrix will be held at the abandoned Tempelhof airport close to the main city centre.

The good news from the teams point of view is that that the shakedown test on Friday returns. The shakedown has been cancelled in the last four events, as Formula E were unable to close the busy city streets. However, as this race is not on the city streets then the shakedown can make its welcomed return.

The last time motorsport came to the city of Berlin was in 1998, sports cars took to the old AVUS circuit, which has now been converted to a motorway. Therefore, Formula E ends a 17 year wait for motorsport to take to the German city.

The track itself looks amazing on paper. The fact that the track is being built on the main apron of the Tempelhof airport has allowed the circuit designers complete freedom of what could be possible for a Formula E circuit. The corners are very wide, which should help promote overtaking in the race, whilst keeping the circuit fast and flowing.

The track looks set up for three main overtaking points. The first one is coming down into turn one, then into turn six and then into turn ten. All three of these corners are very wide, which will allow drivers to throw their car down the inside and if they get wrong they will be able to survive, bearing in mind they don’t T-bone the driver they are trying to get past.

The rest of the track looks fast and flowing apart from the little technical section between turn 12 and turn 16. This will get the engineers working hard in order to find the right balance through these corners, as it will be easy to lose a considerable amount of time negotiating those corners. However, due to the fast flowing nature of the track, engineers will have to find the right compromise, as there are plenty of high-speed corners as well as low-speed corners, which will leave engineers trying to find the best amount of grip levels for the drivers.

It is set to be a fantastic race in Berlin as we begin to draw closer and closer to the end of an amazing first season of action for Formula E.