Social media influencer James Donaldson is one of the biggest YouTube stars in the world, but you probably know him by his online handle: MrBeast. However, while he may have the internet acumen to rack up more than 370 million subscribers on YouTube … it seems his driving skills could use a little work. During a Formula E event in Miami on Thursday, MrBeast lost control of the Formula E GEN3 Evo he was driving and spun into the wall.
Thankfully, the only injury was to his ego, and the car didn’t appear to be badly damaged.
So, what was MrBeast doing behind the wheel of a Formula E car capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 1.8 seconds? He was driving as part of Formula E’s “Evo Sessions” event, held at the Miami International Autodrome on March 5 and 6, which brought together 11 of the world’s most-followed personalities and gave them the opportunity to drive the electric racers.
MrBeast was piloting the car that is usually driven by German driver David Beckmann, following a Porsche Taycan Turbo GT safety car . The first lap went off without a hitch, and MrBeast appeared to be getting confident as he got closer to the safety car.
That confidence likely eroded quickly, however, the second he spun the car 360 degrees while coming out of a left-hand turn in sector 1, causing the car to clip the wall on the left side of the track. Donaldson was able to quickly jump out of the car; however, the session was stopped while the car was hauled back to the pits.
Based on social media footage from the scene, no one appeared to be too bothered by the incident. MrBeast was all smiles as he described his ordeal, saying that it felt like he’d spun four time before hitting the wall and asking people around him to explain what had happened.
Consider MrBeast’s Formula E crash just another example of how difficult it is to control a proper racing car. If you want to be a world-class driver, it takes a lot of dedication and practice — no matter how many YouTube followers you have.