It was a double header this weekend at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit in Germany, marking the halfway point in Formula E’s 16 race calendar. While the drivers performed burnouts before taking their starting positions, protestors entered the track on the far side of the circuit, sitting in front of the cars before the start.
The protestors caused the start procedure to be delayed as security removed the protestors, who were then detained by police.
German group Letzte Generation (Last Generation) claimed responsibility for the protest. The group has been responsible for several demonstrations in Berlin across the weekend.
The group are urging the German government to take action on climate change as they wrote on Twitter: “We are at the @eFORMELde racetrack to sound the alarm. It’s time to slow down. Because we’re on the highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”
Formula E released the following statement: “The race was temporarily delayed while local authorities responded to a protest action unrelated to the event. Security services quickly and safely contained the disruption. The event was able to proceed as planned.”
As the start procedure went ahead, Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy won his first race of the season, cutting the championship leader, Pascal Wehrlein’s advantage to just four points.
This isn’t the first climate protest occurring at a high-profile race. In 2022, Just Stop Oil protestors stormed Silverstone at the British Grand Prix. Several members stormed the circuit on lap one which was red-flagged by Zhou Guanyu’s crash into turn one, which sent his Alfa Romeo over the barrier.
