Defending Formula E champ wins season opener in HK

Renault-eDAMS's Sebastien Buemi of Switzerland in action to win in the FIA Formula E Hong Kong ePrix in Hong Kong, China on Oct 9, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Jose Maria Lopez from DS Virgin Racing was also in contention until the latter stages of the race. Along with di Grassi and Buemi, he was given a "Fan Boost" of an additional 100kj in his second car, thanks to an online vote a mong motorsports fans who voted to choose which drivers should receive extra juice.

Five cars were forced out of the race as a result of either battery or mechanical problems.

Sunday's race attracted an estimated 12,133 spectators, many of whom came from overseas, according to the event's organizers.

A motorsports fan from Shanghai, surnamed Chu, told China Daily that he thought the event had been a thrilling spectacle. "I've watched every Formula One race that has been held in my hometown," Chu said. "Formula E is a new trend in the motorsports industry, so I felt compelled to come and have a look."

Chu believes electric-powered vehicles will become a more mainstream mode of transportation in the future, and the global energy supply will become increasingly dependent on clean energy in the long term.

Hong Kong resident Maggie Lui accompanied her 5-year-old son to watch the race. "He loves car racing," she said. "He might not understand the concept of electric cars, but he looked stunned when he heard the totally different engine sounds compared with other racing cars."

Despite the fact that cars cannot exceed speeds of 225kph in Formula E (compared to 330kph in Formula One), the championship is a perfect blend of motorsports and entertainment, and the race will become another signature event in Hong Kong's sporting calendar, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Leung Chun-ying said at the opening ceremony of the event.

The 2016/17 FIA Formula E Championship is comprised of 14 races in 12 different cities across the world. The next race will be in Marrakech, Morocco on Nov 12, and the final race in this season's championship will take place on July 30, 2017, in Montreal, Canada.

Contact the writers at honeytsang@chinadailyhk.com and yinzeli@chinadailyhk.com