Formula E: Di Grassi wins dramatic inaugural race

Crash denies Prost victory at the last minute, Senna fails to finish.

BEIJING:

A spectacular crash at the last corner that ended leader Nicolas Prost’s race and sent former Formula One driver Nick Heidfeld flying into the fencing gave Brazil’s Lucas di Grassi victory in the first ever Formula E electric race in Beijing Saturday.

The Frenchman, son of four-time Formula One champion Alain, led the gripping race until the final moments.

But Heidfeld made contact with the left side of Prost’s E Dams Renault shortly before the finish outside the Bird’s Nest stadium in the Chinese capital and went barrelling into the air.

The German wriggled out of the wreckage of his vehicle and appeared to confront Prost, who looked to be gesturing his innocence.

“I would not have expected for him to have attempted a suicide move at the end of the race,” said Prost. “My victory was stolen. It’s really hard.”

Heidfeld, racing for the Venturi team backed by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, had clawed his way up from 17th on the grid to push Prost in the final few laps.

But the crash left the way open for Brazilian Di Grassi, who was racing for Audi Sport ABT.

“When I realised that they were off, it was like a dream come true,” he said. “I was alone and have won the race, and I am really, really happy to be in this position.”

Frenchman Frank Montagny from the Andretti team finished second, while Briton Sam Bird of Virgin Racing, the team backed by British tycoon Richard Branson, took third.

Bruno Senna – the nephew of Ayrton Senna, a huge rival of Alain Prost’s – suffered a miserable afternoon after the front left side of his axle appeared to give way after he collided with another car in the first lap.

He earlier failed to record a lap time in qualification after having problems with his battery, and started the race near the back of the grid.

With alternative, environmentally-friendly fuels on the rise, the symbolism of the new formula’s debut in Beijing – a city regularly blanketed by choking pollution – was unmistakable.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2014.

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