After finishing in third in the preceding Paris ePrix , Buemi was confident about his chances for the Berlin race , saying the plan was to qualify in a higher starting position and attempt to race at the front of the field : " We know we can do it as in Paris the car was super-quick ; we just started too far behind to be able to do any better . " Abt said that while he was not interested in the drivers ' standings , he wanted to finish the ePrix on the podium . He wished to celebrate the achievement with the German spectators , and it was the best method in helping his teammate di Grassi in the championship battle . After winning the season 's previous two races , di Grassi stated that his team 's objective was to win the title and aimed to continue their recent momentum into Berlin : " Our car is a winner , our team keeps cool and stays focused when the pressure is on – in this way we can win the home race . ” There was one driver change heading into the race . Having been in one of the Aguri cars since the first round of the season in Beijing , António Félix da Costa missed the ePrix because of a Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters commitment at the Red Bull Ring and was replaced by endurance racing driver René Rast . The deal was confirmed in the week before the race and was originally slated to be World Endurance Championship driver Adam Carroll but the agreement fell apart . It marked Rast 's first participation in single-seater machinery since the Formula BMW ADAC in 2004 and practised on the team 's simulator to familiarise himself with the car . Oliver Turvey was set to be replaced by the Formula Renault 3.5 driver Ben Hanley because of a Super GT commitment at the Autopolis circuit , but that race was postponed because of the Kumamoto earthquakes , and his Formula E seat was reinstated
Kumamoto earthquakes
2016 Kumamoto earthquakes
2016 Berlin ePrix