Formula E: The world’s first electric car championship
Nelson Piquet Jr recalls being part of the launch of Formula E in Beijing, China in 2014. It was the world’s first racing championship for electric cars.
Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet Jr recalls taking part at the launch of Formula E in Beijing, China in 2014. It was the world’s first racing championship for electric cars.
The idea for the competition, going through some of the world’s most iconic cities, was written on the back of a napkin in 2011 by former FIA president Jean Todt and founder Alejandro Agag.
Nelson, a former Formula One competitor, tells Daniel Raza about the anticipation leading to the first race and some of the differences and difficulties drivers faced, throughout the inaugural season. The vehicles, which were all the same, had maximum speeds of around 200kmh.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.
Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had groundbreaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.
(Photo: Nelson Piquet Jr. Credit: Sam Bloxham/LAT Images via Getty Images)
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Next
Clip
-
The first Formula E season
Duration: 01:21
Broadcasts
- Sat 14 Sep 2024 04:50GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service East and Southern Africa & Europe and the Middle East only
- Sat 14 Sep 2024 17:50GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Sat 14 Sep 2024 18:50GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service West and Central Africa
- Sat 14 Sep 2024 23:50GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service except Americas and the Caribbean, East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Sun 15 Sep 2024 03:50GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
- Sun 15 Sep 2024 23:50GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service West and Central Africa
- Mon 16 Sep 2024 02:50GMTÂ鶹ԼÅÄ World Service East and Southern Africa
Podcast
-
Sporting Witness
Personal stories of amazing moments from sporting history told by people who were there