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Beijing, Sep 13 (IANS)
Indian driver Karun Chandhok finished a respectable fifth in the Mahindra racing car to bring home 10 points from the Beijing ePrix, the first ever FIA Formula E Championship race, held at the Beijing Olympic Green Circuit here Saturday.
The race was won by Audi Sport ABT's Lucas di Grassi, who started second, after a dramatic and chaotic finish which saw race leader Nicolas Prost, driving for e.dams-Renault, crash into Venturi Grand Prix's Nick Heidfeld on the last corner of the last lap of the 25-lap race.
Prost, who led the race from pole position, had a massive accident when German Heidfeld tried to take the lead and win, taking them both out of the race and gifting the victory to Brazil's di Grassi. Franck Montagny in Andretti Autosport and Virgin Racing's Sam Bird took second and third, respectively.
Chandhok, who started fourth from the grid, took Mahindra Racing's first points (10) while Brazilian teammate Bruno Senna, who failed to post a qualifying time earlier due to a battery issue, faced more misfortune after suspension damage on Lap 1 which forced him to retire.
As the lights went out, Chandhok was passed by Heidfield. Senna, starting 19th, was pushing to make up positions but in the melee of the first few corners was pushed onto the kerbs which proved too much for his front left suspension that collapsed to put him out of the race.
The safety car was brought out on Lap 3 with Chandhok running fifth. However, Montagny found pace on a straight and charged past the 30-year-old Indian on Lap 12.
Chandhok made his car change on Lap 15, switching to a fresh car with full battery charge to complete the remainder of the race. But emerging back onto the track, Chandhok lost a position to Bird, pushing him to seventh.
However, the Mahindra Racing driver was on a charge and on Lap 21 put in a fine overtaking move to claim back sixth position.
An overheating battery hampered Chandhok's progress at the end and he lost several seconds, allowing Bird and Andretti Autosport's Charles Pic past and putting him down to eighth.
However, the Prost-Heidfeld incident elevated Chandhok to sixth at the flag. The Mahindra Racing driver made up an additional position after the race when third placed man Daniel Abt (Audi Sport ABT) was handed a time penalty for an undisclosed issue which dropped him to 10th.
"It was a good race. I was comfortable staying with the leading pack and passed Sam and was catching Daniel but then the battery overheated and I lost a handful of seconds in the final laps which lost me two places," said Chandhok.
"We were quick though, our pace overall has been with the leading pack. There are lots of positives to be taken away and some lessons learnt too."
The next ePrix will be held at Putrajaya in Malaysia Nov 22.
Formula E is intended to be the highest class of competition for one-make, single-seater, electrically-powered racing cars. The series was conceived in 2012 and the Beijing ePrix was the first ever race.
