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September 14, 2014

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Di Grassi triumphs in Beijing as sparks fly

A SPECTACULAR crash at the last corner that ended leader Nicolas Prost’s race and sent ex-F1 driver Nick Heidfeld flying into the fencing gave Brazil’s Lucas di Grassi victory in the first ever Formula E electric race in Beijing yesterday.

The Frenchman, son of four-time Formula One champion Alain, led the gripping race until the final moments.

But Heidfeld made contact with the left side of Prost’s E.Dams Renault shortly before the finish outside the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing and went barrelling into the air. The German wriggled out of the wreckage of his vehicle and appeared to confront Prost, who looked to be gesturing his innocence.

Prost said afterwards: “I would not have expected for him to have attempted a suicide move at the end of the race. My victory was stolen. It is really hard.”

Heidfeld, racing for the Venturi team backed by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, had clawed his way up from 17th on the grid to push Prost in the final few laps. But the crash left the way open for Brazilian di Grassi, who was racing for Audi Sport ABT.

Frenchman Frank Montagny from the Andretti team finished second, while Briton Sam Bird of Virgin Racing, the team backed by British tycoon Richard Branson, took third.

Bruno Senna — the nephew of Ayrton Senna, a huge rival of Alain Prost’s — suffered a miserable afternoon after the front left side of his axle appeared to give way after he collided with another car on the first lap.




 

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