Jean-Eric Vergne of DS Penske won the inaugural Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix Round 4 held here on Saturday. Nick Cassidy of Envision and TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa finished second and third.
Vergne faced a tough fight from Envision Racing pair of Nicky Cassidy and Sabastien Buemi but managed to cruise to victory in front of a 20,000 strong crowd.
The race enthralled the racing fans with the twists and turns as well as an unexpected crash. “I am very very happy. Though it was tough in the end, I am quite happy to finish it well,” an elated Vergne said
Buemi had actually finished third but was penalised and pushed to the 15th spot losing his position to Tag Heur Porsche’s Antonio Felix Da Costa.)
The Indian fans, however, were a dissapointed lot in the first E Prix held in the country after the Jaguar TCS Racing drivers Sam Bird and Mitch Evans crashed out of the race while Mahindra Racing’s Oliver Rowland and Lucas Di Grassi finished sixth and 14th, respectively. A total of 11 teams participated in the race.
Elaborate security arrangements were made including an ariel surveillance from a chopper. Many celebrities were present at the event including Sachin Tendulkar and a few Telugu film stars.
The next round of the Formula E championship will be held in South Africa’s Cape Town on February 25.