Upside down on the track Formula E superstar gives the all-clear after this horror crash
Shocking moment at the Formula E season opener: after a spectacular collision, Pascal Wehrlein's Porsche flips over and lands upside down on the track. The defending champion is very lucky.
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- Pascal Wehrlein rolls over after a collision with Nick Cassidy at the Formula E season opener in São Paulo. He remains uninjured, but is taken to hospital for safety.
- The defending champion had previously secured pole position in qualifying.
- Jaguar driver Mitch Evans surprisingly wins from last place on the grid, while Taylor Barnard is the youngest driver to achieve a podium finish at the age of 20.
A dramatic incident overshadows the Formula E season opener in São Paulo: German defending champion and world champion Pascal Wehrlein clashes with Jaguar driver Nick Cassidy on the 30th lap. The collision ends spectacularly when Wehrlein's Porsche overturns, crashes into the safety fence and comes to rest upside down on the track (video above).
After the crash, the race is immediately interrupted while concern about the 30-year-old driver's condition spreads. Shortly afterwards, Wehrlein gives the all-clear over the team radio: "I'm fine, but I can't get out of the car." Rescue workers free him from the vehicle a little later. The Porsche driver is visibly in shock, but remains uninjured and is taken to hospital as a precaution.
The Porsche team reassures fans with an official statement: "It is with great relief that we can confirm that Pascal is in good health after the incident. He is currently on his way to hospital for further examinations."
Wehrlein starts the race from pole position. For this success, he secures his first three points of the new season - but the dream start is abruptly shattered by a premature retirement.
A race full of surprises
While Wehrlein and Cassidy retire, the race in São Paulo comes to a spectacular end. Jaguar driver Mitch Evans triumphs - and from the worst possible starting position: he starts from last place. Antonio Felix da Costa (Porsche) finished second behind him. Taylor Barnard, who secured third place in the McLaren, provided a special surprise. The 20-year-old Briton, who was lapped in the meantime, made history with this podium finish. He is the youngest driver ever to finish on the podium in Formula E.
The opening race of the Formula E season is a reflection of the electric motorsport series: turbulent, unpredictable and full of emotion. And with blue Zoom, you always have a front row seat, as the free TV channel broadcasts all races live.
What is Formula E?
The racing series with electric motors was launched by former FIA President Jean Todt and celebrated its premiere in Beijing on September 13, 2014. It combines spectacle, speed and sustainability. With its net-zero strategy, Formula E wants to set an example for the future and promote electric mobility. Car manufacturers should also benefit from the new technologies developed for the racing cars in order to further reduce CO2 emissions.
Since the first season, Formula E has endeavored to hold races on the streets of major cities around the world in order to reach as many people as possible. This philosophy will be maintained for the eleventh season, with the so-called E-Prix taking place in cities such as London, Tokyo, Jakarta and Berlin. Formula E has been a member of the motorsport governing body FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) since the 2020/2021 season, meaning that the winner of the drivers' championship can also call themselves world champion.
Venues and dates
In the 2024/2025 season, 16 races will be held at ten different venues from December to July. The program includes races in Monaco, Tokyo, Berlin and the season finale in London. The races will mainly be held on street circuits.
These Swiss drivers will compete in Formula E
Buemi is not the only Swiss driver on the grid. With Edoardo Mortara and Nico Müller, Switzerland has two more trump cards.
Of the three, Sébastien Buemi is probably the best known. The man from Aigle has contested 55 Formula 1 races, but has never finished on the podium. Buemi has celebrated more success in the World Endurance Championship. To date, he has won the drivers' world championship four times and the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times. Buemi won the Formula E drivers' championship in 2015/2016, but has now been waiting seven years for his 14th race win.
Mortara is approaching his eighth season in Formula E. He has contested 95 races so far, six of which he has won. In the 2020/2021 season, he finished second in the drivers' standings. His current team-mate Nyck De Vries, of all people, stood in front of him back then.
Nico Müller also has a world champion as a team-mate. The Swiss driver has switched to Andretti Formula E for the new season, where Jake Dennis is waiting for him. The Brit won the title in 2023. He wants to finally clinch his first Formula E victory with the new team. Müller used to be particularly successful in the DTM (German Touring Car Masters). He celebrated ten race wins there and narrowly missed out on the title in 20219 and 2020.
