The start of the new Formula E campaign came to a dramatic halt on Tuesday, as preseason testing was interrupted by a fire breaking out in a team garage - with the knock-on effect now spilling into a second day of track driving.
Ahead of Season 10's opening race in Mexico City, teams and drivers are in Valencia, Spain gathering data and taking practice runs - or were, until the incident. Crews on the ground and around the pit lane where the fire broke out ran out from inside the garage with thick smoke immediately billowing out, before a mass evacuation was quickly ordered and fire crews attended the scene.
One person was taken for precautionary medical attention and later released.
Action was duly cancelled for the day while an investigation took place and the garages underwent a clean-up, but an updated Formula E statement has confirmed that preseason testing will again not be on the agenda for the entirety of Wednesday, with hopes to resume the following day.
“In response to an incident on Tuesday at Formula E pre-season testing in Valencia when a fire caused damage to a garage in the pit lane, on-track testing activity will not go ahead on Wednesday,” the statement read.
“Damage from the incident was contained following the activation of emergency procedures. One person was taken to hospital as a precaution but released without treatment.
“An investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing, but has already identified an issue which is being addressed. The investigation and further safety assessments will be completed and we aim to resume on-track activities from Thursday, subject to final confirmation.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the initial statement from FE read: "In a break between practice sessions, a fire was detected in the pit lane and garage area which has been contained.
“The on-track Incident Response Team acted immediately to contain the incident while the main pit building and garages were quickly evacuated.
“One person has been assessed by medics and has been transported to hospital for precautionary checks. Formula E, the FIA and local fire authorities are investigating the cause. The FIA have advised Formula E and all teams that on-track activities have been cancelled for the rest of the day. This will allow for the area to return to safe working conditions. Further updates will be shared in due course.”
Testing is due to run for the remainder of the week, with several new or returning drivers on the grid this year - including Nyck de Vries, who departed Formula One team AlphaTauri three months ago.
Last season ended in triumph for British driver Jake Dennis, who became champion at a manic London E-Prix in July.
