Formula E championship leader Jean-Eric Vergne desperate to hold off Brit challenge from Sam Bird

The Frenchman still leads the way and could seal a championship in Berlin

Jean-Eric Vergne has virtually lived on the podium this season (Getty)

Formula E Championship leader Jean-Eric Vergne admits his focus is on finishing in front of rival Brit Sam Bird in Berlin to take a big step towards ensuring the title heads to Paris rather than London this year.

Following his home win in the last E-Prix in Paris, Vergne sits 31 points clear of DS Virgin Racing’s Bird but with 29 points on offer in a single Formula E weekend the Techeetah driver is not resting on his laurels.

There are just four races left in the Championship starting with the Berlin E-Prix this Saturday taking part on a purpose-built unique track at the historic Tempelhof Airport – a circuit which has proven difficult for the Techeetah team in previous seasons.

Vergne finished eighth and sixth at last year’s double header and with the lack of testing opportunities available to a customer team the Frenchman had some apprehension but insisted he would have to treat the day as if he was in the chasing pack.

“It's always better to be in the position of chasing than being chased - so even though I'm the one being chased, I still chase the other ones,” he said. “Every race I arrive, I think that Sam or Felix or whoever has the same amount of points [as me and] I want to leave with more points than them. It's as simple as that.”

“Berlin has been a tricky race for us in the past. With limited testing, we still have some unknowns going into this race. We're working hard to pull out all the stops to have a better E-Prix in Berlin than we did last year. At this stage in the season, it's all about keeping it clean and scoring points.”

Sam Bird won in Rome but still trails Vergne (Getty)

Despite snapping at the heels of former F1 Toro Rosso driver Vergne, Londoner Bird is still not allowing himself to think about being the first British champion in Formula E.

“I’m certainly not thinking about the title at this stage and will just approach this race like I would any other,” said Bird. “Hopefully we can get another strong result for me and the team. The championship is nearing its closing stages, so we know every point is vital.”

The Berlin round of the Championship is the only round to have featured every year since the championship’s inception in 2014. The drivers face a 10 turn, 2.375km track on what can be an abrasive surface.

The race weekend will see former Formula One champion Nico Rosberg return to the cockpit as he drives the brand-new Season 5 Gen2 championship car for the first time publicly around the Berlin race track.

Also attending the event will be actress Emily Ratajkowski who will become the first female celebrity to drive the Formula E race car.

You can watch the Berlin E-Prix live on Channel 5 this Saturday May 20 at 4.45pm.