The 10 dates when everything almost changed in Formula E (1/2)

Season 1 / September 13, 2014, Beijing (China)

The world of motorsport awaits with curiosity the debut of the Formula E, championship created by Alejandro Agag with the support of Jean Todt. On the starting grid, 20 good drivers are ready to do anything to win the first race and make history. Nicholas Cheers, author of pole position at the wheel of his e.dams-Renault, is in the lead. Behind him, Nick Heidfeld, his teammate WEC at Rebellion, started 6th at the wheel of his Venturi. Halfway through the race, when changing cars, the German moved to 2nd and got into the pace of the Frenchman.

On the last lap, the two men went wheel to wheel. There is only one sharp bend left to negotiate before the finishing straight. It was then that Heidfeld decided to overtake Prost under braking. The Frenchman steers to the left, the two cars touch. Prost breaks a suspension arm and Heidfeld loses control of his car. His car slips, takes off on a vibrator and spins along the fences before coming to rest, cockpit facing the ground.

Both drivers were unhurt, but victory went to Lucas Di Grassi (Audi Sport), ahead of Franck Montagny (Andretti Autosport) and Sam Bird (Virgin Racing). The following weekend, during the 6 Hours of COTA (Austin, Texas), Prost – who in the meantime took a 10-place penalty on the starting grid for the following race – and Heidfeld kept up appearances despite versions distinct.

“It was going well”, the German pilot confided to us, when Prost kicked into touch, repeating: “I don’t know what happened, I was focused on my dashboard”. Of course everything ended well, but if Nick Heidfeld had been injured, or if the battery of his electric car had caught fire, Formula E would have lost all credibility from its first race and its future could have been immediately compromised. This was not the case, and this spectacular event, relayed by all the media on the planet, even made it possible to promote it.

Season 1 / March 14, 2015, Miami (Florida)

On paper, this race looked like a dream. In the middle of Spring Break, Florida's largest city is full of partygoers. Audi Sport, as is often the case, organized an evening in the suburbs of the city with the help of a beer brand, its sponsor at the time. Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi are there, all smiles. “It’s going to be a great race tomorrow,” assures the German between two graphists who draw the brand's logo on a wall.

The next day, in the large stadium which serves as the press room, Nick Heidfeld demonstrates agility with a basketball, his other passion. The number 23 on his car is no coincidence: it is that of the legendary Michael Jordan.

But, in the heart of this warm atmosphere, no one suspected what was going to happen. While the first tests are awaited, we realize that the bitumen for the track which was to be laid overnight is being delivered... business-first : the municipality of Miami did not wish to close the boulevard the evening before to preserve the surrounding activities (marina full of shops, restaurants). As a result, the first free practice session will be canceled, the second reduced to a few minutes. The FE never returned to that part of the United States, which had offered Nico Prost his first victory in the discipline.

Season 2 / November 7, 2015, Putrajaya (Malaysia)

For the second year in a row, the meeting is held in the greater suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. The Ministries district in which the race takes place is empty on weekends, and it is stifling heat which puts a strain on the organizations. In Beijing, it was pollution that prevented pilots from jogging, here it was the weather.

On the starting grid, the grid girls drop like flies then, during the race, many cars encounter damage, their batteries overheating and going into Safety mode. It’s a disaster… and without an audience. The previous year, at the same place, the race had already been marked by an event which to this day remains unique in the history of the FE. Franck Montagny, then Andretti driver, had tested positive to a derivative of cocaine. A few days after the race, the sanction fell: the Frenchman was banned from all competition for two years and left the FE. Like Miami, Putrajaya has disappeared from the calendar.

Season 2 / February 6, 2016, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

At this time of year, it's high summer in South America, but also the long school holidays. Puerto Madero, the chic district of the city where the circuit is built, is not very lively. However, it is the gentle way of life that dominates, in a friendly atmosphere. The FE is a big family: the drivers and team members take their meals together, under a giant tent set up in a park.

Problem: the food does not meet all the health conditions, and the day before the race, around thirty people in the paddock were struck by food poisoning. Among the drivers, the first victim was Jean-Éric Vergne, then owner of the DS-Virgin Racing team. Argentinian Pechito Lopez, three-time WTCC world champion, came as a neighbor to visit his former colleagues from Citroën Racing who had moved to DS Performance.

He says he is ready to play replacement, “just in case”. But, despite a bad night and after shock treatment, Vergne was authorized to take to the track by the FIA. It was then Alex Tai, team principal of the team, who created the surprise by asking him to rest and not take part in the tests. A misunderstood decision by everyone, certainly against a political background, but which will deprive the French of any adjustment. JEV will enter the race day during qualifying, and will ultimately finish in 11th position in the E-Prix. Sam Bird, his teammate, will pocket his first victory with DS-Virgin Racing…

Season 2 / April 23, 2016, Paris (France)

Since the start of the championship, the races have certainly taken place in an urban environment, but not exactly in the city center. Paris, which is the dream of every race organizer, is the first city to open its hyper-center to competition. Serge Orru, special advisor to Anne Hidalgo and great enthusiast of F1, Jean Todt (personal friend of the mayor of Paris), Alejandro Agag, as well as Pierre Gosselin and Eric Barbaroux, Rachida Dati, (mayor of the 7th arrondissement of the capital), and finally the military Governor of Invalides, the area around which is designed the route, are the architects of this project.

The race, won by Di Grassi ahead of Vergne and Buemi, andst a little disappointing, the organization is in progress, but here we are. In this month of April 2016, Paris is writing a new page in its sporting history, and motorsport too. Over time, the circuit has not evolved and today it is criticized by drivers for its short length (less than 2 km), but the quality of the organization has progressed. The fact remains that the Coronavirus led to the cancellation of the 5th edition planned for this year (a postponement was once hoped for), hoping that the Paris Agreements, allowing the discipline to come to Paris until 2022, will not be not called into question following this health disaster.