Inaugural Formula E Race Ends With Horrific Crash

Electric car races may be much quieter, but are just as dangerous as any other motorsports. Nico Prost, whose father is four-time Formula One winner Alain Prost, had led the field for most of the inaugural Formula E race that took place in Beijing last Saturday evening and was on course to become the first ever winner of the all-electric auto race series when Nick Heidfeld attempted a pass on the very last corner. The Frenchman swerved left in an attempt to defend his impending win, but far too late, and collided with Heidfeld’s car, sending the German flipping through the air and into a tyre barrier.

The Venturi team looked on in horror, uncertain of it’s driver’s fate, until Heidfeld crawled out of the overturned car unaided. “I thought it was going to be a very big crash,” he later said, according to the Formula E website. “Once I hit the kerb it felt like I was in the air for ever. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact and then I thought: ‘Oh, that was lucky.’ I have a small pain in my calf but apart from that I’m perfectly fine.”

Heidfeld was certainly unscathed, as upon escaping the wreck he immediately ran over to Prost, who was also unharmed, and a confrontation ensued. Prost later maintained that he was the one wronged, “I would not have expected for him to have attempted a suicide move at the end of the race. My victory was stolen. It is really hard.”

Heidfeld (left) confronts Prost

With both Prost and Heidfeld out of the race, Audi Sport's Lucas di Grassi made history by claiming the first victory in Formula E, quite unexpectedly, and picking up 25 points.

According to The New York Times, there were reportedly 75,000 spectators on site at the Birds Nest stadium, a large number of whom were local residents.

image: theguardian.com