Beijing Street Circuit, Street Circuit

The Beijing Olympic Green Circuit was a temporary street circuit built especially for the FIA Formula E Championship, winding around the famous Olympic Park in the Chinese capital. Its backdrops included the 'Bird's Nest' National Stadium and the Beijing National Aquatics Centre, whose shimmering façade produced a light show after dark. Penned by Rodrigo Nunes, the layout was deliberately stop-start in character, comprising a series of straights, ninety-degree corners and flip-flop chicanes intended to suit the electric cars, placing a premium on braking stability and traction. With unyielding concrete walls and limited run-off, survival was as important as speed. The circuit holds a unique place in motorsport history as the venue for the very first Formula E race, the 2014 Beijing ePrix held on 13 September 2014. That inaugural event is best remembered for a dramatic final-corner clash between Nicolas Prost and Nick Heidfeld on the last lap, which launched Heidfeld's car skyward without injury and handed victory to Brazil's Lucas di Grassi. For the 2015 race the layout was modified to remove a chicane and improve overtaking, with Sébastien Buemi winning what proved to be the final event before Formula E moved on to other Chinese venues.