WATCH: Falcon hunts down Formula E race car in Saudi Arabia

Can a fully-electric race car outrun the fastest creature in the animal kingdom?

The race showcased Saudi Arabia's breathtaking scenery and heritage. Formula E

The Formula E series has gone a long way to change perceptions of electric vehicles as sedate, slow-off-the mark fare.

And while the Tesla Model X can do 0-to-100kph in about five seconds and the speedy new Jaguar I-Pace has been reported to hit the mark in 4.5 seconds, just how quick are this year's top electric spec race cars?

Ahead of the Ad Diriyah E-Prix, Formula E took to the Saudi Arabian desert to race the fastest creature in the animal kingdom – the peregrine falcon. The graceful predator has been recorded to reach speeds of 350kph.

So, just to be sure of their chances of winning, they drafted in former Formula One driver Felipe Massa. He got behind the wheel of Gen2 racing car in a bid to outrun the fastest animal on the planet.

For the battle of man and machine versus nature, the falcon was trained to set its sights on a lure attached to the roll hoop of Massa's car.

After a slow start, the falcon soon caught up with the car and Massa had his mirrors full of the bird of prey, but the Brazilian managed to just keep ahead to the finish line.

It’s not the first time the fully-electric Formula E car has been pitted against a member of the animal kingdom. Last year, Jean-Eric Vergne raced a cheetah in South Africa and narrowly won.

The E-Prix takes place on December 15 at the Unesco World Heritage site on the outskirts of Riyadh.

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