Robin Frijns wins Formula E’s first ever wet race on dramatic afternoon in Paris

The Dutchman continued a remarkable streak during Season 5 which has now seen eight different winners during the first eight races of the season after best managing horrific conditions in Paris

Envision Virgin Racing’s Robin Frijns described his first ABB FIA Formula E Championship victory as ‘survival’ after the drivers faced treacherous conditions in Paris during the sport’s first ever wet race.

The Dutchman continued a remarkable streak during Season 5 which has now seen eight different winners during the first eight races of the season – breaking F1’s record for consecutive winners – after best managing horrific conditions in Paris.

Intense hailstorms battered the drivers causing a severe lack of grip on the dirty street track which resulted in crashes into the wall, drivers colliding into each other and full wheel spins on straights to cause nearly half the E-Prix to be raced under a yellow flag.

Six drivers were forced to retire and many more battled through the conditions with scrapes and bumps – Felipe Massa revealing afterwards that his visibility was so bad he raced with his visor up.

But having negotiated never-before seen conditions – Formula E never having had even a basic wet race – Frijns admitted he breathed a huge sigh of relief having crossed the finishing line to bring the win home for Sir Richard Branson’s team.

“That was the toughest race of my career,” said Frijns. “The last thing you want is rain when you’re leading and it was incredibly slippery. Knowing what the rain would do to the track conditions was very difficult and I was just surviving really.

“Knowing you’re leading, that you’re the first guy going into the wet corners and Andre was right behind me waiting for that mistake so the pressure was on the whole race, I never had a time to rest so it was definitely one of the toughest ones.”

DS Techeetah’s Andre Lotterer who made it two second-place finishes in a row and Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s Daniel Abt took his second podium of the season in third.

And Lotterer, the veteran driver who has won 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, admitted that he had never faced a more difficult drive in his life.

“Formula E is the most difficult series to drive even in the dry,” said Lotterer. “Racing in other categories – going 350kph at Le Mans – it is all pretty easy with downforce and everything.

“Here you pray for your life every time you go on the brakes, but it is a really challenging game and it makes Formula E very unpredictable. There is a lot to do for the drivers which is cool but today was probably the lowest grip I’ve ever experienced. Even in the middle of the straight we were wheel spinning three-quarters down the straight.”

Robin Frijns won in Paris (Formula E)

Oliver Rowland – who became the first driver to score his second pole of the season – led for just three minutes before locking up into the wall with his teammate Sebastien Buemi passing him. The Swiss led for 10 minutes before being forced into the pits with a puncture to complete a nightmare opening for Nissan e.dams.

Rowland later smashed into Alex Sims causing the BMW driver to spin into the wall, Edoardo Mortara took out Alex Lynn and Felipe Massa made a 360 spin on a straight to drop from a podium place late-on in the race as conditions told.

Frijns leads Lotterer by a point in the Drivers' Championship while the top four drivers are still within 11 points of each other and any of the top 10 could take the Championship lead next time out in Monaco on May 11.