2016 Hong Kong ePrix

The 2016 Hong Kong ePrix (formally the 2016 FIA Formula E HKT Hong Kong ePrix for sponsorship purposes) was a Formula E electric motor race held at the Hong Kong Central Harbourfront Circuit in Hong Kong before a crowd of 30,000 people on 9 October 2016. It was the first race of the 2016–17 Formula E Championship and the first edition of the event. The 45-lap race was won by e.Dams-Renault driver Sébastien Buemi who started from seventh place. Audi Sport ABT's Lucas di Grassi finished second and Mahindra driver Nick Heidfeld was third.

2016 Hong Kong ePrix
Race 1 of 12 of the 2016–17 Formula E Championship
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Race details
Date 9 October 2016
Official name 2016 FIA Formula E HKT Hong Kong ePrix
Location Hong Kong Central Harbourfront Circuit, Hong Kong
Course Street circuit
Course length 1.860 km (1.155 miles)
Distance 45 laps, 83.700 km (51.795 miles)
Weather Warm
Attendance 30,000
Pole position
Driver
  • Nelson Piquet Jr.
NextEV NIO
Time 1:03.099
Fastest lap
Driver Felix Rosenqvist Mahindra
Time 1:02.947 on lap 36
Podium
First
  • Sébastien Buemi
e.Dams-Renault
Second
  • Lucas di Grassi
Audi Sport ABT
Third
  • Nick Heidfeld
Mahindra
Lap leaders

Nelson Piquet Jr. won the pole position by recording the fastest lap in qualifying. He pulled away from the rest of the field and led until he collided with the barrier after swerving to avoid José María López's crashed car on the 17th lap allowing Sam Bird to take the lead. Some drivers elected to make pit stops to switch to their second cars with Bird choosing to remain on the circuit until his own stop eight laps later. He had technical problems with his second car and Buemi moved into the lead. Di Grassi was no more than two seconds behind Buemi but was unable to get close enough to challenge him because he had to conserve electrical energy and Buemi remained the leader for the rest of the race to win. There were three lead changes among four different drivers during the course of the race.

It was Buemi's first victory of the season and the seventh of his career. The result gave the Buemi of the Drivers' Championship with 25 points, seven ahead of di Grassi and ten in front of Heidfeld. Buemi's teammate Nico Prost was fourth on 12 points and António Félix da Costa was fifth with ten points. e.Dams-Renault held a 19-point advantage in the Teams' Championship over joint second-placed Audi Sport ABT and Andretti. Mahindra Racing were nine points ahead of the fifth-placed NextEV with eleven races left in the season.

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