Formula E returned for its seventh season, with rounds one and two held on the streets of Diriyah in Saudi Arabia. Both racers were action-packed, with the second round red-flagged late in the race as Alex Lynn suffered a horrific crash.
The Mahindra driver was sent skywards as he came together with round 1 podium sitter Mitch Evans. Lynn’s car became airborne as it launched itself over the rear of Evan’s Jaguar. The race was stopped with minutes to go, handing the victory to Evan’s newly-signed teammate, Sam Bird.
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A message to the passioneers from @alexlynnracing 🤩#ABBFormulaE #FormulaE #DiriyahEPrix pic.twitter.com/Tdj7RQXvZX
— Mahindra Racing (@MahindraRacing) March 1, 2021
Initially, images of the crash weren’t broadcast on the international feed, as the driver’s well-being was assessed. Formula E later released CCTV footage of the accident, which the trackside cameras hadn’t captured — the filming equipment had been trained on a separate incident further up the track.
The accident saw Mitch Evans abandon his own race to check on his former teammate. Lynn was taken to hospital but was later discharged with no injuries reported. He went on to issues a heartfelt thank you via Mahindra’s Twitter account.
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Breaking: Mercedes and Venturi cars have not been allowed to take part in #DiriyahEPrix qualifying as Formula E investigates cause of Edoardo Mortara's crash:https://t.co/WAkwJrMOGR
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) February 27, 2021
The crash was a scary end to a weekend of action-packed racing. The other notable incident was a separate accident in practice which prompted the FIA to exclude Mercedes and their customer team, Venturi, from qualifying for the second race.
Mercedes’ Nyck de Vries had already won the first race but was forced to start from the back of the grid for round two with the FIA’s exclusion, as the Venturi of Edoardo Mortara suffered a total brake failure. Mortara was sent to hospital for a check-up, with Mercedes later identifying a software glitch to be the cause. Motara, who was soon discharged, did not start the second race.
Both Lynn and Motara have been cleared to race at the next round taking place in Rome in April. Nyck de Vries takes an early lead in the driver’s championship, and his Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team heads the constructor’s table.
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