An enthusiastic crowd was
treated to a thrilling conclusion of the first ever Formula E Race Off as Mahindra
Racing’s Bruno Senna beat Nico Prost at the Gfinity Arena in London.
Fans arrived early to set
their best times around the Long Beach track and earn a shot at racing
alongside their Formula E heroes. The fastest 16 went into the semi-finals,
which was streamed live across Formula E’s official Twitch and YouTube
channels.
In an action-packed showdown,
Zak Scholes came out on top to clinch the Formula E Race Off fan trophy as the
professionals struggled to keep pace with their ‘virtual’ rivals.
The event concluded with Prost
and Senna going head-to-head in a restaging of one of motorsport’s most classic
rivalries. In a best of three races, it was Senna who took victory.
Bruno Senna, Mahindra Racing
driver, said: “It’s been a fun day, watching and taking part on a virtual
track. I think eSports is the future, especially when getting people into
sports and interacting with the fans. Video games and computers are getting
closer and closer to reality.”
“I’d like to come back after a
bit more practise,” said Nico Prost, driver for Renault e.dams. “I’m really
amazed by the whole event and the turnout from the fans. Some of them are so
fast and it was a really nice event to be a part of, especially as the first
one for Formula E.”
Jann Mardenborough, Nissan
Nismo works driver and GT Academy winner, said: “I’ve never been to an eSports
event before, I’ve seen it online and it is massive with so much support across
a lot of different platforms. It’s strange when you’re competing at home with
no pressure but an event like this is completely different. It’s certainly the
route to go down to engage with a younger audience and look to the future.”
Source: FIA FormulaE