Former F1 wheelman Jean-Eric Vergne and the precociously named SPARK SRT_01E have drag raced a cheetah on an African airstrip, in part pursuit of the noble question that drives humanity; which one is quicker?
The Formula E development car does the 0-100km/h in a flat three seconds. Cheetahs have reputedly been clocked at over 100km/h with acceleration estimated at 75km/h in just two clicks of a Seiko.
Can the world’s fastest land mammal get the holeshot on a volt sucking open-wheeler?
"We knew the similarities in performance between the Formula E car and a cheetah, so we were curious to see the outcome," said Formula E Founder and CEO Alejandro Agag.
How did they do it? They had to use three different cheetahs to manage fatigue. The speckled sprinters chased a lure attached to a winch, overseen by a squadron of wranglers and animal welfare professionals.
The point of the video is larger than taking interspecies bench racing onto a southern African landing strip. The intention: draw parallels between a sustainable motoring future, and the survival of endangered species.
"What’s even more important is to determine the outcome for the future for not only us, but the cheetah and other animals we share our planet with,” said Agag. “We only have one planet and we must address the issues we currently face from the source and electric cars can play a key role in reducing C02 emissions worldwide.”
The FIA’s story also hints at a driverless future, mentioning Formula E support partner Roborace’s development of racing cars without racing drivers.
Cheetahs might not be the only species facing extinction. Save those cheques, Danny Ric.
Could Daniel Ricciardo maintain a lavish Monaco lifestyle on toothpaste endorsements alone, or will he be collecting Red Bull cans for the 5c refund? Tell us in the comments below.
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