The Abt Cupra squad has endured a tough begin to the season with the new-for-2023 Gen`3 machines having determined comparatively late to return to the championship after a 12 months away.
It’s left the German outfit, which is utilizing the Mahindra powertrain, typically in the back of the sector within the races with neither Muller nor his team-mate Robin Frijns scoring any factors this season forward of the Berlin E-Prix double-header final weekend.
However a moist qualifying session for the second race on the Tempelhof Airport Road Circuit produced a shock end result as each Abt drivers reached the ultimate duel, with Frijns taking pole from Muller.
“Everyone is working collectively so onerous, we’re sticking collectively, the spirit is so excessive even in robust occasions,” mentioned Muller.
“I actually have numerous respect for each single member of the workforce as a result of it’s not straightforward and to see the grins on their faces, the flickering within the eyes after qualifying was wonderful.
“I not often have goosebumps within the automotive however once I was sitting there and I used to be stay up to date on Robin’s duel within the semi-final, and when he crossed the road and it was clear we have been each within the remaining, I had goosebumps.”
Circumstances improved considerably for the beginning of the race, which was delayed by climate change activists with solely damp patches remaining in locations.
The change in climate meant the Abt workforce was at all times going to wrestle to remain close to the entrance of the sector, as Frijns slipped again to seventeenth on the flag.
Robin Frijns, ABT CUPRA Racing, M9Electro, Nico Muller, ABT CUPRA Method E Group, M9Electro, Sebastien Buemi, Envision Racing, Jaguar I-TYPE 6
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
However Muller completed ninth having led a Method E race for the primary time and believed that was the utmost end result.
“We simply don’t have the effectivity and absolutely the efficiency within the package deal that enables us to actually struggle on the entrance and there’s numerous good automobiles on the market,” the 31-year-old Swiss mentioned.
“We knew that we must make all the things excellent and be as environment friendly as attainable if we wish to form of hold in there and we did.
“Actually, I’m very proud of our execution, clearly I might have cherished to have had a barely higher end result than P9, however I’ve no regrets in any respect. The race was executed completely.”