Cricketers Deepak Chahar, Shikhar Dhawan and Sachin Tendulkar at Formula E racing in Hyderabad on Saturday | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Fans watch the Formula E-Racing in Hyderabad on Saturday | Photo Credit: VV Subrahmanyam
Necklace Road, the venue of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, here on Saturday witnessed the Grand Finale of the inaugural edition of the prestigious Hyderabad Formula E-Racing.
Braving various kinds of heat and inconvenience like parking their vehicles at distant places like NTR Stadium or Sanjeevaiah Park, thousands of fans cheered for two-time Formula E world champion Jean-Eric Vergne who emerged victorious in a thrilling contest. Became
Clearly, the fans seem to have got their due on the day when it mattered most as they witnessed world class racing by some of the best drivers from around the world. Experts said the final round saw Vergne put in superb ‘defensive’ racing to hold off challengers to take the honours.
No doubt there was an unfortunate four-car accident on the 12th lap, but again it was one of those things that happens in a Formula race. The disappointment for some fans is understandable as the incident involved two TCS Jaguar drivers Sam Bird and favorite Mitch Evans, and took them out of contention.
Every time the cars passed them at lightning speed, fans rose to their feet, enthusiastically applauding and whistling at the drivers, who were clearly in a competitive world of their own.
Not surprisingly, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, and contemporary stars Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal with wife Dhanashree Verma, and film stars including Deepak Chahar Nagarjuna, Naga Chaitanya, Akhil and Navdeep were present to add a dash of glamor to the entire show.
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao attended the closing ceremony.
Significantly, the trademark ceremony of a Formula race winner on the podium being the opening and spraying of bubbly was missing as they were replaced by confetti cannons, respecting local customs. Clearly, the organizers have effectively ensured that Hyderabad will be one of the preferred destinations for more such events in the days to come. This, even as champion Vergne made a distinct suggestion in the post-race media briefing that a better cleaning mechanism be put in place as the track was “very dusty”.