Formula E: Di Grassi wins, as Prost triggers last-lap crash

The inaugural Formula E race, held around Olympic Park in Beijing, will be remembered for Lucas di Grassi scoring one of the luckier wins of his career, and Nick Heidfeld having one of his luckiest escapes, following a last lap collision with Nicolas Prost.

An eventful, though rarely thrilling race had seen polesitter Prost keeping his e.dams-Renault at the head of the field throughout, barring the car-changing mid-race pit stops. However, in the second half of the race, he’d been under pressure from Heidfeld’s Venturi machine, as well as di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT) and Franck Montagny (Andretti Autosport).

With three laps to go, though, the leading pair edged away into a private battle, and Heidfeld appeared to have timed the winning pass to perfection, ducking out from behind Prost going into the braking zone on the last turn of the last lap. Despite his Rebellion Racing sports car teammate being fully alongside, Prost swerved hard left.

This pushed the Venturi car over high curbing and out of control, launching it into the catch fencing (see video below). Heidfeld wriggled free from his upside down machine but was clearly unimpressed with Prost.

Di Grassi, who’d been fast all weekend, was a grateful victor. He said: "We were a bit lucky, but I was happy to be in the right place today. I didn't see the accident, but the main thing is that Nick is OK, which proves that this car is absolutely safe."

The former British Formula 3 champion appeared to have headed an Audi Sport ABT 1-3, as teammate Daniel Abt crossed the line third. However, a penalty imposed post-race for using too much electrical energy saw Abt drop to 10th. Thus Sam Bird of Virgin Racing grabbed the final podium spot after climbing from 12th on the grid, and prevailing in a spirited battle with Mahindra Racing’s Karun Chandhok in the closing stages.

Chandhok fell a further place behind the second Andretti car of Charles Pic when the Mahindra machine's battery overheated in the closing laps. The Dragon Racing entries of Jerome d'Ambrosio and Oriol Servia were seventh and eighth, while Nelson Piquet Jr.'s China Racing car was ninth ahead of the demoted Abt.