CUPRA KIRO and Pepe Martí battle to top 10 finish in Berlin
CUPRA KIRO driver, Pepe Martí, battles from 15th to finish seventh at the 2026 Berlin E-Prix
CUPRA KIRO extended its Formula E points-scoring streak in Race 1 of the double-header 2026 Berlin E-Prix, with driver, Pepe Martí, battling from 15th on the grid to finish seventh at the chequered flag.
In Qualifying, both CUPRA KIRO drivers launched their efforts from Group B, and while Pepe missed out on the duels to start from 15th, his team-mate, Dan Ticktum, fought forward into the Semi-Finals where he secured fourth on the grid.
Facing an energy critical race, Dan was a consistent presence inside the top 10 during the opening phase and took Pit Boost on lap 19 to emerge in podium contention but experienced a loss in power due to a technical issue and ultimately retired as a result.
Pepe, meanwhile, conserved energy aggressively at the start and ascended to third during the pit window before taking Pit Boost himself on lap 25. The Spaniard rejoined the race in sixth and used Attack Mode to consolidate his position in the points, finishing seventh.
Pepe Martí, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“Gaining eight places from our starting position to score points means that we can call today a good day. From inside the car, there are always missed chances and missed opportunities, and today, I do think we could have finished inside the top five. Unfortunately, we got very unlucky and picked up a massive piece of plastic in the radiator which caused the battery to overheat and then caused power cutting and a loss in overall power. The issue probably prevented me from going for a move for sixth but to be honest, we can be quite happy because we maximised the result. Looking ahead to tomorrow, hopefully we can get a better result in Qualifying which I think is due and from there, fight for more points and hopefully a top five.”
Dan Ticktum, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“A frustrating one today. I was running well, saving some energy in the top 10 after starting fourth. The Pit Boost strategy was really good, and we rejoined the race in a net top five position, and I was up on energy on most of the cars around me. The team did everything right and we were on for a likely podium, and then I had a technical issue on the car which I couldn’t clear. I fell out of the points and that was the end of my race, so yet another bout of bad luck.”
Russell O’Hagan, Team Principal, CUPRA KIRO
“A bittersweet end to a productive day. Today’s race was one of the most intense of the season and demanded a huge amount from the drivers in terms of energy management, tyre management, and thermal management. Tempelhof is one of the most unique circuits on the calendar, and, because it’s a track that everyone knows so well, it can be a particularly hostile environment for a rookie. Despite that, Pepe responded extremely well today and rose to the challenge. Coming into this weekend, the priority for Pepe was to learn and build experience with the view to iterate on Sunday, so to come away with this result today is a very positive outcome for him and the team. Dan, on the other hand, was extremely unlucky. Yet again, he put himself in a strong position to be in the top five but was thwarted by a technical issue. It’s a big frustration for both him, and the team, but the positive is that our pace has been very strong all weekend. If we can execute cleanly tomorrow, there will be opportunities. I’d also like to congratulate our Powertrain Partner, Porsche, on their home victory today – Nico drove a superb race and thoroughly deserved the win.”
