[Omkar]

The last Formula 1 race in India was held in 2013! We've had to wait almost a decade to watch international-level racing live in our country. Not Formula 1, but this year fans finally got to see some wheel-to-wheel Formula E racing on the streets of Hyderabad. Yes, most of us are Formula 1 fans here, but let's not get into the discussion about which one's better. Just as someone who enjoys racing, this was a great opportunity to witness some skilled driving. And in all honesty, I didn’t go into the race weekend with a lot of hopes but was glad to witness an exciting race.

If you want to know about Formula E, you can visit their official website for more info. We're now in season 9 of the Formula E World Championship and the Hyderabad e-Prix was Round 4 of 16. The grid consists of 11 teams and 22 drivers. Indian fans were primarily cheering two teams – 1. Mahindra Racing with drivers Lucas Di Grassi (number 11 car) & Oliver Rowland (number 8 car). 2. Jaguar TCS Racing with drivers Sam Bird (number 10 car) & Mitch Evans (number 9 car). This year also marked the introduction of Gen 3 cars that produce 469 BHP and can do 320 km/h. The cars can regenerate 600 kWh of energy which is 6 times that of the Gen 1 car. These Gen 3 cars also look simpler and sleeker than the previous generation cars.

The Hyderabad E-Prix Street Circuit was located on the banks of the artificial Hussain Sagar Lake. The 2.835 km long circuit consists of 18 turns:


VIP parking lots were full of exotics:


There were multiple gates and points of entry to the circuit:


Further security at the grandstand entry:


For media passes you needed to get accreditation done online from FIA before the race. After approval, you would have to collect the badges from this booth. Unfortunately, by the time I applied for the accreditation, FIA had already closed the entries for the Hyderabad e-Prix. So, I got to view the race like everyone else, in the grandstand:


The grandstands were big enough to accommodate the Indian crowd. However, in the scorching 35-degree heat of Hyderabad, these open grandstands were pure punishment:


This was the turn 16-17 chicane:


That white line was where the finish line was after turn 18:


That’s the first braking zone leading to turn 1:


I got to watch the qualifying from grandstand 14. Double fences meant that clicking pictures of fast cars was going to be very difficult. That’s Pascal Wehrlein who’s won rounds 2 and 3 in Diriyah and leads the championship for the Tag Heuer Porsche team:


One of the crowd favorites, Sam Bird in his number 10 Jaguar TCS car:


Andre Lotterer in the Avalanche Andretti car:


Maserati MSG Racing had one of the best-looking cars on the grid IMO. Maximilian Gunther driving this one:


Nio 333 Racing has participated in the Formula E world championship since its inaugural season in 2014. In the seat of this one was British driver Dan Ticktum:


DS Penske team’s car with Jean-Eric Vergne in the driver's seat. He qualified in 2nd position:


The Neom McLaren Formula E race car looks very similar to the Formula 1 McLaren car in papaya orange. Rene Rast behind the wheel of this one:


Marshalls getting some much-needed rest before the race:

[Omkar]

The Race

Then came the time for the race and I moved to grandstand 15. Was glad to see such a big turnout for a Formula E race and the overall excitement levels of the crowd. I expected the crowd to lose interest after a few laps, but was surprised to see everyone cheering every time the cars passed the stands till the last lap:


Multiple screens were placed at various locations with loudspeakers so that the fans in the stands could keep up with the action:


The crowd went crazy for the Mahindra cars. It was a tough race for Lucas Di Grassi as he qualified in 19th position and finished 14th on the grid:



Oliver Rowland was patient in this race and was up to 4th place. He tried a move around the outside to overtake Sebastien Buemi (Envision Racing) for 3rd, but was pushed wide and had to brake. He then lost a couple of places because of that and finished 6th which is his best this season for Mahindra:



Antonio Felix Da Costa in the Porsche had a fantastic race where he started 13th and crossed the line in 4th position. However, thanks to Buemi being demoted to the 15th position, Antonio Felix Da Costa took the final place on the podium:



Sam Bird (Number 10) and Mitch Evans (Number 9) in the Jaguar TCS cars were looking good in the initial stages of the race. Things went terribly bad when Sam Bird ran into his teammate in turn 3 and both cars had to retire:



Sergio Sette Camara (Nio 333 Racing) started 15th on the grid and went on to finish 5th:


Stoffel Vandoorne (DS Penske) also had a great recovery drive to 8th position from 17th on the grid:


Jean-Éric Vergne in his No. 25 DS Penske car drove beautifully on Saturday. He managed his battery levels well and defended the first position from Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) to take the chequered flag in a nail-biting finish. He’s been racing in Formula E since the first season and he sure used all his experience to win the Hyderabad e-Prix:


A safety car was deployed when the McLaren of Jake Hughes went into the wall:


Yup, the safety car was a Porsche Taycan:


Envision Racing had an eventful race. Nick Cassidy started 9th and finished 2nd. He was followed by Sebastien Buemi (in the picture) in 3rd place, however, he was demoted to the 15th spot for an overpower infringement. Brilliant driving by both drivers though:


On lap 26, Rene Rast’s McLaren ran into the back of Jake Dennis’ Avalanche Andretti car. Dennis was running 4th at that time (started 11th) and went on to finish last due to the damage to his car (note the missing rear body work):


Your final podium finishers:

1. Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Penske)
2. Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing)
3. Antonio Felix Da Costa (Tag Heuer Porsche)

Final Result


Here's a quick 5.35-minute highlight video of the Hyderabad e-prix race:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhkGmh4lw9o

Of course, there was a human traffic jam once the race was over:

[Omkar]

Other Stuff

Sophisticated camera crew with their high-tech equipment:


Since this was a street circuit, there were some of these long-arm rigs to get a better camera angle:




There was an area called 'Fan Village' where some teams had set up tents for the engagement with the fans. There were autograph sessions, gaming arenas, and a lot of other activities to keep the fans indulged. The Mahindra tent had the gen 3 racing car on display:


The Gen 3 cars have a 330 BHP motor on the front axle used exclusively for regeneration:


Interestingly, the car has hydraulic brakes at the front, but not at the rear. The car heavily relies on regen from the front and rear motors for braking:


A look at the rear diffuser. Gen 3 cars are more sustainable and use recycled carbon fiber from gen 2 cars. All the tyres will be recycled after the race:


The Mahindra car obviously also had the XUV400 electric on display:


There were also a few gaming rigs for fans to set a lap time:



Another Gen 3 car was on display in the open area:


There was also some live rock music being played by some very talented musicians:


DHL also had a stall and a game to check your reflexes:


Porsche corner had the Taycan Turbo on display:


There was a fan store where you could purchase Formula E merchandise from different teams. Yes, people were lined up to enter the store:


A separate gaming arena had plenty of racing simulators for fans to get some track experience:


In conclusion, it was great to see the turnout and the crowds at a racing event in India. The event saw a lot of genuine racing fans who were excited to watch these drivers battle it out on the track. As for me, I went in with zero expectations. Also, since there was nothing to watch till Formula 1 starts in March, this seemed like a good filler. But after watching the race and being amidst all the fans in India, this experience sure proved to be a heck of a lot more entertaining than I would’ve ever imagined. And sure, I will be watching Formula 1 this season as always, but now I'm also excited to follow the Formula E season too.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[grshnehete]

Great turnout. As compared to F1, formula E has more relaxed atmosphere. General public can access lot of things which is very difficult in F1. Also the cost of tickets are less compared to F1 too.

I had a chance to see a formula E race in Paris during 2018 and there was no entry ticket price. I was almost standing near the podium for the trophy presentation.

[A.K]

Great to see mainstream (well, almost) motorsport make a comeback to the country, and with F1 looking to expand, one can only hope BIC is put to good use again!
On a lighter note, here's something that made me chuckle. A security goof-up caused public traffic to enter the street circuit and delay the FP1 by 45 mins. There, of course, had to be an auto in the lead

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