Felipe Massa races the fastest animal on earth ahead of Formula E debut

Veteran driver Felipe Massa has been getting fans in a flap ahead of his Formula E debut.

Ahead of his first appearance in the all-electric race series, the 37-year-old was tested against the fastest animal on the planet – a peregrine falcon.

The bird can reach speeds in excess of 217 mph when diving on its prey, a touch faster than a Formula E car.

But could Massa hold it off to secure his first win in an electric vehicle?

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The winner?

Chasing a lure attached to the back of the new-look Gen2 car, the falcon almost kept up with the Brazilian but Massa did enough to fly ahead.

“It was an incredible experience for me to race against the fastest member of the animal kingdom – it’s not something I will forget in a hurry,” he said.

This isn’t the first time Formula E has tested their machines against the animal kingdom’s fastest beasts.

Earlier this year, Jean-Éric Vergne climbed behind the wheel for a race against a cheetah in South Africa.

Felipe Massa raced a peregrine falcon ahead of his Formula E debut.

Fans wanted to see more, so the race against the falcon was organized in Saudi Arabia.

“I like the fact that this idea came from the fans, and Formula E listened and accepted the challenge,” Massa said after winning the race.

READ: Formula E 2019 – ‘The most competitive championship in the world’

Formula E debut

Massa announced his decision to join Formula E team Venturi earlier this year and will make his debut at the Ad Diriyah E-Prix on Saturday.

“I’m looking forward to returning to Ad Diriyah and to start racing. It’ll be my first race in Formula E and I’m eager to get behind the wheel again,” Massa said.

“I’ve missed racing and this series has shown to be one of the most competitive out there.”

A year after calling time on his long and storied Formula One career, veteran driver Felipe Massa is returning to the track in Formula E. The Brazilian is set to join Formula E team Venturi in the all-electric series for the 2018/19 season.

Having spent his formative years racing karts in his native Brazil, Massa got his big break in Formula One with Swiss-based Team Sauber, making his debut in the 2002 Australian Grand Prix and taking his first F1 points just one race later in Malaysia.

Switching to Ferrari in 2006, Massa replaced Honda-bound compatriot Rubens Barrichello and enjoyed his maiden podium with a third-place finish at the European Grand Prix. He followed that up with second places in the United States and Germany, partnering the legendary Michael Schumacher in the German's last ever championship campaign in the iconic red.

And that elusive first Formula 1 victory came soon after, as Massa took the plaudits in Turkey after his maiden pole position. Ferrari retained the Brazilian after a series of other impressive performances.

He would go on to enjoy his most successful period on the track with Ferarri, as the Brazilian clocked up 11 race wins and 36 podiums. Just a single point separated Massa from the championship in 2008 as he pushed McLaren's Lewis Hamilton (right) all the way.

But the Brazilian was victim of a terrible accident in the summer of 2009, careering off the circuit in qualifying for the Hungary Grand Prix at 200kph (125mph) after being struck on the head by a loose spring from the car of Brawn GP driver Barrichello. Massa suffered a fractured skull and spent several days in a medically-induced coma.

Massa valiantly returned to the track in 2010 alongside new teammate Fernando Alonso, and podium finishes in both Bahrain and Australia suggested he was ready to put the trauma of his accident behind him.

However, as the season developed, Alonso increasingly looked the more consistent performer -- culminating in Massa infamously being forced to move aside for his teammate at the 2010 German Grand Prix.

Speculation Massa would lose his drive with Ferrari was quelled with impressive performances in the back-end of 2012, but the following season a number of accidents -- including two in Monaco -- slowed any building momentum for the Brazilian.

And Massa was eventually replaced by Kimi Raikkonen in 2014, prompting the Brazilian to make the switch to Williams. Despite a less competitive car, he has continued to perform well -- scoring a number of further podiums and finishing sixth in the standings.

In pictures: Felipe Massa's distinguished F1 career

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Winner of 11 grands prix over the course of a storied 15-year F1 career, Massa is one of a number of drivers to make the switch to Formula E since its inception five years ago.

The all-electric racing series champions the development of electric-powered, sustainable vehicles worldwide. It consists of 10 teams and 20 drivers, visiting 11 cities over seven months.