MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Olympic 100 and 200 metres gold medallist Usain Bolt enjoyed an uncanny level of speed behind the wheel of the world record-breaking Genbeta electric race car ahead of the first race of the Formula E season in Mexico City.
The eight-time Olympic champion drove the electric car on a full lap at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Friday.
“It’s like a rocket on wheels,” Bolt said in a statement. “Having the opportunity to drive it was a mind-blowing experience. The power right from the start was a real surprise and the adrenaline you feel is on another level, easily.
“Driving it is like nothing I have ever experienced before. I was told that once you drive it you don’t want to stop or get off and they were right. I would do it every day if I could. If I get more time, I’ll definitely go faster,” he added.
The 36-year-old Jamaican tested the sprinting capabilities of the electric car that last year smashed the world indoor speed record reaching a top speed of 218.71km/h (135.9mph) inside London’s ExCeL Centre.
Bolt covered the 100m sprint in 4.36 seconds in the car, 5.22 seconds faster than the world record of 9.58 seconds that he ran on the track during his stellar athletics career.
“I heard that some people label drivers as ‘non-athletes’ because they’re driving a car, but today I saw what it takes to sit in a car like that,” he told a news conference.
“You don’t just drive and that’s it, you have to be a total athlete to do something like that.
“After what I experienced today in Mexico, anything is possible. I would love to be part of Formula E to promote it, I really enjoyed it,” he added.
Bolt’s electrified ride opened the 10th season of the Formula E World Championship, which takes place this weekend.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Comments