Formula E Explained takes a deeper look at the fundamentals of Formula E and answers your questions about what makes the championship so unique. In this one, we're taking a look the 'red car' extrication procedure and the process of making sure a driver can be safely removed from their car following a shunt.
Bruno Franchescini, FIA Safety Delegate to Formula E explains what the procedure's for and what it entails: "As soon as there's an accident on-track we ask the marshals to check the light on the car. If it's red, they're not allowed to touch the car and must report the incident to race control. Race control then send the rescue team to deal with the 'red car' - which means there's an issue with the electrics. This can be a problem with the battery, cabling, the inverter or something else following an incident.
"These cars operate with high voltages, so if there's a crash you have to protect the extrication team from the car's body, so it's insulated with covers so there's no contact between bodywork and anybody working on the car.
"So far, we've never had an incident that's thrown a red light on the car thanks to the engineering. The exercise is carried out every race event on the Friday, so if it does happen during a race, it's something the team knows how to handle perfectly without mistakes."