In the antechamber of the Mexico City ePrix, the first race of Season 10 of the Formula E World Championship, Usain Bolt at the Hermanos Rodríguez Autodrome behind the wheel of the Genbeta, the radical version of the third generation electric car driven by António Félix da Costa & Co., with 400 kW (536 hp). The 37-year-old Jamaican covered the 2.628 km and nineteen corners of the circuit after being instructed by Jake Dennis (Andretti), the reigning champion, by former F1 driver David Coulthard, and by Bruno Correia, the Portuguese Safety Car driver, completing 100 meters in 4.36 seconds, a time 5.22 seconds faster than the 100-meter record he has held since 2009 (9.58 seconds), after accelerating from 0-96 km/h in the same 4.36 seconds!
Usain Bolt retired from athletics in 2017, but the Jamaican sprinter’s name remains inscribed in the record books of the sport in which he rightfully earned a prominent place in the Olympus of sports, achieving it both with the titles he won (eight Olympic golds in 2008, 2012, and 2016, winning the 100m and 200m at the Beijing, London, and Rio de Janeiro Games) and with the world records he still holds, namely in the 200m (19.19s) and 4x100m (36.84s).
The Genbeta was developed to promote the exceptional potential of Formula E in action in the world championship since last year, as it is a variant of the third generation electric car without any restrictions, especially in terms of power, and it includes a handful of modifications that improve performance and increase speed, including the Hankook tires. Last year, in London, with Jake Hughes, a McLaren driver behind the wheel, this prototype entered the record book as the fastest vehicle inside a building, reaching 218.71 km/h. The Formula E with 350 kW is capable of more than 322 km/h.
The fastest man on the planet said he was amazed by the Genbeta, which he described as a “rocket on wheels.” “I had an amazing experience. The power of the start surprised me a lot, and I haven’t felt so much adrenaline in a long time. I had never experienced anything like it, and if I could, I would do it every day and surely go even faster,” exclaimed “Lightning Bolt,” the nickname of the 1.95m tall Jamaican who is a multiple Olympic and world champion. In Mexico City, Usain was as fast as lightning behind the wheel!
