Ahead of the first race of the season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the multi-Olympic gold medallist drove the revolutionary Formula E GENBETA electric race car on a full lap of the track where the 2024 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix will be held later today (Saturday, 13 January).
The fastest man ever over 100m and 200m could not resist trying out the sprint capabilities of the Formula E GENBETA, which earlier this year smashed the official indoor land speed world record by more than 50 km/h reaching 218.71km/h inside the ExCeL London.
Bolt accelerated from the start line on the track at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit, achieving 0-60mph in 2.89 seconds and powering through 100m in 4.36 seconds – 5.22 seconds faster than his world record 100m time of 9.58 seconds.
With current Formula E World Champion driver, Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E Team) and former F1 star and new Formula E TV presenter, David Coulthard, on hand to provide coaching advice, Bolt was able to experience the 400kW power of the GENBETA at full effect from the start line and along the straight.
The GENBETA features a range of modifications to effectively ‘unlock’ the specifications of Formula E’s GEN3 race car.
Introduced last season, the GEN3 is the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built. With a top speed of more than 322 km/h (200 mph), the GEN3 is used by the 11 teams and 22 drivers in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Usain Bolt, 100m, 200m and 4x100m world record holder, said: “The GENBETA race car is like a rocket ship on wheels. Getting the chance to drive it was a mind-blowing experience. The power from the start was such a surprise and the adrenaline you got is on a different level, easily. Driving the GENBETA was like nothing I've experienced before. I was told that as soon as you drive, you don’t want to stop or get out and they were right. I would do it every day if I could. If I get more time, I will definitely go faster.”
Jeff Dodds, CEO, Formula E, said: “Usain Bolt is electric. What could be more Formula E than bringing together two world record holders – Usain Bolt and our GENBETA race car – just to see what happens? Usain broke the world record 15 years ago, and nobody has come close to beating it since. He came to our race event today with that same determination and confidence to step out of his comfort zone, get in our incredible race car, and see what he could do. He’s also asking me if he can come back tomorrow and see if he can go even quicker.”
David Coulthard, former F1 driver and Formula E TV presenter, said: “I was very impressed with Usain’s focus and desire to put in a strong performance. Put the world’s fastest man in this incredible race car and he was always going to push it to the limit. Once a champion, always a champion.”