A dramatic crash between racers Nicolas Prost and Nick Heidfeld saw Brazilian Lucas di Grassi claim a win at the first ever Formula E electric race in Beijing on Saturday.

Starting the race in pole position, Prost of Team e.dams Renault had led for most of the ePrix when Heidfeld tried to overtake on the last corner of the street circuit.

The Frenchman appeared to swerve towards the overtaker when their wheels collided, sending Heidfeld spinning into a stomach-churning flip. Both were unharmed by the clash.

Shooting from third place to victory, Audi Sport ABT’s Di Grassi said: “Firstly, I’m happy Nick [Heidfeld] is ok and it shows how safe these cars are. To win the race is like a dream come true. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time.

“The team did a great job all through practice and qualifying, yes we made a few mistakes but overall I’m extremely happy to be the first ever winner of a Formula E race.”

He was joined on the podium by Andretti’s Franck Montagny and Virgin’s Sam Bird.

Despite topping four of the five pre-season tests, e.dams-Renault’s Sebastien Buemi failed to finished after retiring on lap 19.

CEO of Formula E Alejandro Agag said he was thrilled by the viewing figures for Beijing: “We’re proud to announce that during this ePrix we’ve had a live worldwide television audience of 40 million, 75,000 people on site and more than one billion social interactions.”

The next all-electric race takes place in Putrajaya, Malaysia on 22 November.