Hyderabad set for historic Formula E race

City will become 27th in the world to host the race on Saturday

Hyderabad: The city of Hyderabad is set to join the elite list when it hosts India’s first ever Formula E race – Hyderabad E Prix at the Hyderabad Street Circuit on the banks of the picturesque Hussain Sagar Lake and NTR Marg.

The fourth round of the ninth season will be held on Saturday as the city motor racing fans are set for adrenaline rush. This is also the first motor sport event in the country in the last 10 years.

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The last time India hosted an FIA race was in 2013 when it hosted the Indian Grand Prix Formula 1 race in Greater Noida. Hyderabad is the 27th city in the world to host the race which is the first non-carbon emission event.

The 2.83 km street circuit will have Gen3 race cars vrooming with a maximum speed with 22 drivers from 11 teams vying for the top honours.

This is also the home race for the Mahindra Racing team and also for TCS Jaguar racing team which is owned by the Tata group.

Incidents mar Free Practice session

On Friday, the drivers from 11 racing teams had a feel of the track when they took their cars out for a ‘shake down’ ahead of the Free Practice 1. However, the 30-minute Free Practice was marred with incidents delaying it by 45 minutes.

Before the start of the session, which was scheduled to begin at 4.30 pm, was delayed when civilian vehicles intruded the track from the Indira Gandhi statue road onto the racing track leaving the organisers shell-shocked.

The vehicles, which are being diverted to alternate routes, somehow managed to enter the race track. Luckily, there were no cars racing on the track at that time, averting a major incident. The organisers swiftly swung into action to clear the vehicles to get the track ready for the session.

Ten minutes into the session, the championship leader Pascal Wehrlein, the Tag Heuer Porsche driver, suffered a crash. The German driver lost control of the car on turn 18 and crashed into the wall damaging both the front and rear of the car. However, the driver was seen walking off the car without any injuries.

No champagne at celebrations

The organisers revealed that the winners of the race will no longer celebrate popping champagne, their customary celebrations. Instead, they will celebrate with confetti cannons.

The main race of the event will be held on Saturday afternoon post Free Practice 2 and Qualifying Race in the morning session.

Traffic advisory for spectators

A day before the main race on Friday, the organisers released the traffic advisory for the fans visiting the race. The Khairtabad Metro Station will lead to gate 7, while the Lakdikapul Metro Station will lead to gates 3, 4, and 6.

The gates will be open from 7.30 am and spectators as the action will begin at 8 am with a second practice session ahead of the qualifying event at 10.

The fans are advised not to bring food, drink, sharp weapons, firearms or their replicas, fireworks, chemicals, aerosols, various types of poles and sticks, drones, roller skates, face-covering costumes, needles, plastic bottles larger than 500 millilitres, glass bottles, blunt objects, laser pointers, and alcoholic beverages.

Routes restricted for vehicles: Khairatabad Flyover, Necklace Road, (from Jal Vihar to Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi Statue circle), NTR Marg, Mint Compound Lane, IMAX Rd, Secretariat North Road, and the underpass of Telugu Talli Flyover.