Reigningꦜ FIA Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne has raised concerns over the Santiago E-Prix street circuit after drivers encountered severe track breakup. 

High track temperatures, combined with extensive r🎉unning of FE's Gen 2 cars th🤪roughout the day, caused the track surface at the new 2.4km Parque O’Higgins venue to begin to pull apart. 

Large chunks of asphalt marbling were visible both on and off the racing line at certa🐼in points around the race track, leading to a number of drivers voicing their concerns over team radio as the race progressed. 

Vergne, who ultimately retired, toꦺok to social media after the race to brand the track surface conditions as “extremely dangerous”. 

“Never seen a track like this, asphalt going off, making it extremely dangerous,” he tw🥀eeted. 

“And bumping into others was🦹 necessary to overtake … hope it will change.” 

Sebastien Buemi and Stoffel Vandoorne’s races both ended when they hit th🌸e wall after running wide onto the 𒁏marbles in separate incidents, while Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara suffered a bizarre spin at the exit of the chicane - one of the worst-affected areas. 

BMW-Andretti driver🐟 Alexander Sims was handed a time penalty for being adjudged to have caused the incident, though he was adamant he had not made contact with Mortara. BMW launched a protest into the decision but it was rej💞ected by the FIA. 

“I was surprised that he spun but after a few laps yꦜou see that the tarmac is ripping up more and more i🤪n many of the corners and the chicane was one of them,” Sims explained. 

“I think w🐎ith the tarmac he might have just been unfortunate with the tarmac giving way from underneath him. 

“On many corners I went in and lost grip because the tarmac is giving u🏅p and there’s loads of pieces of asphalt on the outꦛside.”

Never seen a track like this, asphalt going off, making it extremely dangerou𓄧s. And bumping into others🌳 was necessary to overtake ... hope it will change

— Jean-Eric Vergne (@JeanEricVergne)