Dario Franchitti tries Formula E car in Moscow

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti said his competitive instincts started flooding back while sampling a Formula E car for the first time during the Moscow ePrix.

Franchitti was forced into retirement following an IndyCar accident in November 2013, and is now part of the all-electric championship's TV commentary team. For the broadcast package, Franchitti turned a handful of laps on Saturday morning in one of the series cars – and was beaming afterward.

"It was really enjoyable," he told AUTOSPORT. "Obviously it's been a while – I think all I've really driven in anger since I had my crash was a DTM car at Goodwood last year, which was blinding good fun.

"But to get in the Formula E car, after commentating about them for so long, it was cracking fun to do. I had to make sure I took it easy, because my instinct was to start getting after it!

"On the first lap you think [as Franchitti made delicate wheel movements with his hands], 'mmm, hmm', the second lap you turn it up, and then on the next lap [as Franchitti started flexing his back] you think, 'no, you're not allowed... drive nice and slowly.'"

Franchitti was full of praise for the car and Moscow layout following his brief encounter.

"It was good fun," he said. "The car, it's a normal racing car, with the feeling it gives you and the feedback.

"I really enjoyed the track – it's definitely a two-part track. You've got a traditional, 90-degree left onto the straight, then you've got the big hump into Turn 2 and that one long corner – [Turns] 3, 4, 5 – and then it looks like a miniature Macau up the hill a little bit.

"With the short tracks that they've made for the championship, as Justin Wilson put it, it's to scale – it feels about right for the performance of the car."