Formula E
First-ever ePrix in Europe
Sebastien Buemi secured victory in the first ever contest for emission-free cars in Europe, taking place in Monte Carlo on May 9. The Swiss driver drove a flawless race for his e.dams outfit, successfully fending off an attack by Lucas di Grassi, to claim the winner’s trophy from Prince Albert II. Di Grassi took second place, 2.154 seconds adrift, after himself coming under sustained pressure from Nelson Piquet Jnr. Piquet finished 4.634 seconds behind the race leader, followed by Sam Bird who had staged a thrilling charge up the field from 13th on the grid.
Right at the start of the race, there was a multi-vehicle pile-up. First, Daniel Abt was pushed into the wall and then Bruno Senna went sailing over the top. The rest of the field immediately bunched up, and a series of shunts led to further premature retirements from the race. All drivers involved are well, proving safety of the SRT-01 FE. After the restart, Nelson Piquet Jnr used the Fanboost to pass Jerome d’Ambrosio while Buemi and di Grassi continued to build up a sizeable gap. Other beneficiaries of the extra power boost were Jean-Eric Vergne and Salvador Duran.
Lucas di Grassi who is supported by the Championship’s Logistics Partner DHL clung tenaciously to race leader Buemi and launched a ferocious attack after the pit stop. Buemi defended successfully, leaving di Grassi to focus on keeping Nelson Piquet Jnr at bay. In this battle of the Brazilian aces, di Grassi used his Fanboost to repel Piquet and cross the finish line in second place, a result which extends his championship lead over his compatriot to four points.
DHL invited the 23.000 spectators to explore the issue of electric mobility in the eVillage, an urban festival zone packed with activities and entertainment that showcase and promote the FIA Formula E championship, innovation and technology, sustainability and wellbeing.
The DHL E-XPERIENCE is an innovative, and interactive stand which allows race fans to delve into the world of DHL and Formula E, to learn about some of the technologies being developed, the impact these technologies will have on the future of logistics and e-mobility, and the role that DHL will play in delivering a more sustainable championship. Highlights of this stand include a Power Bike challenge where visitors generate energy by cycling as well as an augmented reality interactive model of the Formula E car which visitors are free to walk around to find out more about the car, either by using touch screens provided or via their own devices using a free-to-download mobile app. Furthermore, guests of the eVillage where introduced to selected electric vehicles DHL operates in its own delivery network.
The race was well attended by the public at with some celebrity faces spotted also amongst the crowd. Singer Natalie Imbruglia is clearly a convert to emission-free motorsport: “At Formula 1, I always have to wear ear plugs, but here you can hold a proper conversation.”
The next fixture on the FIA Formula E Championship calendar is the DHL Berlin ePrix in Germany on 23rd May.
Watch the highlights of the Monaco ePrix in this video clip.
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