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London, UK - An enthusiastic crowd was treated to a thrilling conclusion of the first ever Formula E Race Off as Bruno Senna beat Nico Prost at the Gfinity Arena in London.

Fans arrived early to set their best times around the Long Beach track and earn a shot at racing alongside their Formula E heroes. The fastest 16 went into the semi-finals, which was streamed live across Formula E’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.

In an action-packed showdown, Zak Scholes came out on top to clinch the Formula E Race Off fan trophy as the professionals struggled to keep pace with their ‘virtual’ rivals.

The event concluded with Prost and Senna going head-to-head in a restaging of one of motorsport’s most classic rivalries. In a best of three races, it was Senna who took victory.

Bruno Senna, Mahindra Racing driver, said: “It’s been a fun day, watching and taking part on a virtual track. I think eSports is the future, especially when getting people into sports and interacting with the fans. Video games and computers are getting closer and closer to reality.”

“I’d like to come back after a bit more practise,” said Nico Prost, driver for Renault e.dams. “I’m really amazed by the whole event and the turnout from the fans. Some of them are so fast and it was a really nice event to be a part of, especially as the first one for Formula E.”

Jann Mardenborough, Nissan Nismo works driver and GT Academy winner, said: “I’ve never been to an eSports event before, I’ve seen it online and it’s massive with so much support across a lot of different platforms. It’s strange when you’re competing at home with no pressure but an event like this is completely different. It’s certainly the route to go down to engage with a younger audience and look to the future.”

Further details on upcoming events will be released shortly. For more information on Formula E visit www.fiaformulae.com

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About FIA Formula E Championship:

Formula E is a ground-breaking FIA championship and the world’s first fully-electric racing series. It represents a vision for the future of the motor industry, serving as a framework for research and development around the electric vehicle, accelerating general interest in these cars and promoting sustainability. The first season began in Beijing in September 2014 and completed in London in June 2015, racing in 10 major cities (11 races) around the world. The championship sees nine teams, each with two drivers, going head-to-head to create a unique and exciting racing series designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans. Season two got underway in October in Beijing with the series becoming an ‘open championship’ allowing approved manufacturers to develop new powertrain solutions. Future seasons will see the regulations open up further allowing manufacturers to focus on improving battery technology.

About FIA & Michelin - Today’s partners for tomorrow’s mobility:

As well as being the official Formula E tyre supplier, Michelin is an official partner, at the international level, of the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign. The programme is designed to support the Decade of Action for Road Safety initiated by the UN, the aim of which is to save five million lives over the next 10 years. This programme is set up to educate and advocate for safer roads, vehicles and behaviours around the globe.