Stuntman Performs Blind Backflip Over Formula E Race Car

Damien Walters shows us why his job as a Hollywood Stuntman is all about focus and timing.

We have all seen them; those YouTube videos of people trying (and often failing painfully!) to jump over moving cars. But have you ever witnessed someone attempt a blind backflip over a speeding Formula E Race Car?  Hollywood stuntman Damien Walters, best known for his appearances in “Captain America”, “Skyfall”, and “Assassin’s Creed” recently posted this crazy stunt as a promotion for the Formula E race series. The stunt was performed at last month’s race event in Mexico City.

Walters and his crew rehearsed the stunt by performing side-by-side practice runs, making sure both the driver and stuntman’s timing was in perfect sync before successfully attempting the blind back flip. A clock visible to Walters allowed him to jump at just the right time, with the car being driven at exactly 60 miles per hour. 

If you are a newcomer to the Formula E racing series, it is now in its second season and has proven to be surprisingly entertaining, thanks in part to some big name Pro Drivers joining the race lineup, including F1 racing stars Lucas di Grassi and Sebastien Buemi.

Formula E consists of a practice run, qualifying, and the Formula E Grand Prix. For the Grand Prix, drivers hit the gas from a standing start and crews are required to limit the cars energy use to between 180 kW and 200 kW. This allows the drivers battery to last long enough to reach the middle of the race, which is about 30 minutes, where they jump into another identical single seat race car for the remainder of the event.

Formula E also allows the fans to interact directly with their favorite drivers — by introducing a great new concept called FanBoost.

FanBoost gives an extra boost of energy to the three most popular drivers to the tune of 100kJ.  Fans get one vote per day for there favorite drivers, which can be sent out using specific hashtags on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, as well as the Formula E website. Drivers can only use this extra power on the second half of the race and only between 180 kW and 200 kW of energy drawn from the battery pack.

It’s clear that Formula E racing is geared toward the future, aiming at bringing in a younger generation of race enthusiasts to the sport in an interactive way that allows fans to get as close as possible to their favorite drivers.

Here’s another video from the stunt, captured in 360 degrees:

The next Formula E race takes place this Saturday in Paris.