The circuit was designed by Rodrigo Nunes in close cooperation with the FIA, Formula E, the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of PR China, Olympic Green management, the Mayor of Beijing, the Chinese Government, and event organiser China Racing. The layout wound anticlockwise around the famous Olympic Park, with the Bird's Nest National Stadium and the National Aquatics Centre — with its shimmering façade providing a light show after dark — forming the backdrop. The design was deliberately stop-start in nature, comprising a series of straights, 90-degree corners, and four flip-flop chicanes, intended to suit the electric cars' characteristics of high torque and energy recuperation under braking.
Unyielding concrete walls and limited run-off placed a premium on survival. The pit lane was configured as a U-shape that gave spectators an unusual opportunity to observe the unique car-swap pit stops that defined early Formula E. Main grandstands were sited on the start/finish straight, with additional bleachers at Turn 1 and the Turn 10–11–12–13 chicane.
Lucas di Grassi of Audi Sport ABT described the facility as an amazing challenge, identifying Turns 1, 2, 6, 19, and 20 as the most likely overtaking points, and noting that the pit lane required special practice due to the car-swap procedure. Katherine Legge of Amlin Aguri commented on the first chicane at Turn 3, describing it as unrealistically tight.
The inaugural Beijing ePrix on 13 September 2014 was the first race in Formula E history. The race is best remembered for a dramatic last-lap collision at the final corner between Nicolas Prost and Nick Heidfeld that launched the German driver's car skyward. Heidfeld emerged without serious injury. Lucas di Grassi inherited the victory by picking his way through the carnage, making him the first Formula E race winner.
For the second Beijing ePrix, the track layout was modified to address the overtaking criticisms from the inaugural event. The first chicane — previously Turns 3, 4, and 5 — was removed entirely, creating a faster approach to a new Turn 3. The second chicane was given a tighter profile than the previous year. Drivers welcomed the changes; Jérôme d'Ambrosio of Dragon Racing commented that the left-hander at the end of the back straight was a nicer corner at high speed, and that the tighter chicane made the racing fairer by reducing the advantage of varying corner-cutting lines.
The 2015 race was won by Sébastien Buemi in a Renault ZE15, with his fastest race lap of 1:39.993 and fastest qualifying lap of 1:37.297 the benchmark times on the revised layout. The victory marked the opening round of Buemi's successful title-winning campaign.
Formula E did not return to Beijing for a third season, as the championship set its sights on new venues elsewhere in China.
The Beijing Olympic Green Circuit holds historical significance as the site of Formula E's competitive beginning. Its unusual design, its famous backdrop, and the drama of the inaugural race — particularly the Prost-Heidfeld crash that denied the expected race winner — made it a memorable chapter in the early story of electric single-seater racing.