Formula E car smashes indoor land speed world record

Driver Jake Hughes of the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team successfully secured the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title. He faced off against Lucas di Grassi, a driver from the Mahindra Racing team, in a competition held indoors as part of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Together, they vied for the prestigious world record for the fastest speed ever achieved by a vehicle within an indoor setting.

Competing in the 'Duels' format employed during Formula E qualifying races, the duo engaged in a thrilling head-to-head battle to determine the fastest speed achievable indoors. The challenge took place on a mere 346 metres of straight racetrack, with both drivers using the identical GENBETA car.

Despite neither driver having prior experience behind the wheel of the GENBETA, both managed to surpass the previous world record of 165.2km/h (102.65mph) set in February 2021. Remarkably, during all three of their practice runs, they outperformed the existing record before proceeding to make their official world record attempts.

In the lineup, Britain's Jake Hughes was the first to take on the challenge, embarking on three practice drives. To everyone's astonishment, he instantaneously claimed the title of the unofficial world record holder with an impressive speed of 214.80km/h on his very first run. Undeterred, he continued to push the boundaries in his subsequent two practice attempts, achieving even faster speeds of 215.05km/h and 217.65km/h.

In his debut season of racing in Formula E, Hughes geared up for his fourth and official run. With determination and skill, he reached an incredible top speed of 218.71km/h (135.9mph), solidifying his position as the world record holder.

The Brazilian driver, Lucas di Grassi, began his campaign with great intensity, achieving a top speed of 216.87km/h in his first run, surpassing Hughes' initial practice speed. The momentum continued in his favour as his next practice run clocked an even faster 217.92km/h. His third and final practice run reached a speed of 218.18km/h, coming incredibly close to Hughes' official world record.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans for the former Formula E champion, who had the distinction of winning the inaugural Formula E race in Beijing back in 2014 and remains the most successful driver in the championship's history. Despite his illustrious record, his fourth and official run fell just short, achieving a top speed of 217.65km/h.

As a result, Jake Hughes emerged triumphant in this Duel, officially securing the title of GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS holder for the fastest-ever indoor vehicle.

The GENBETA car used by both drivers to establish the world record underwent a series of purposeful modifications, unlocking the full potential of the GEN3 race car specifications. Introduced in the current Formula E season, the GEN3 boass unprecedented speed, lightweight construction, and unrivalled power and efficiency. With a top speed surpassing 322km/h (200mph), the GEN3 serves as the primary vehicle for the 11 teams and 22 drivers competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The modifications to the GEN3 as part of the GENBETA project include: 

• Enhanced battery power output of 400kW, up from 350kW in the GEN3, through the activation of the front powertrain kit in traction, delivering all-wheel drive for the first time in a Formula E car. The battery was charged by ABB, the title partner and official charging partner of the Championship
• New, softer iON Race tyre compound allowing faster warm-up and better peak grip, developed by Hankook Tire, official tyre supplier of Formula E
• 3D printed front wing endplates, wheel fins and a wind deflector with circular, more sustainable thermoplastic solutions developed by SABIC, principal partner of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, to optimise aerodynamics for enhanced straight line speed of the GENBETA

Apart from the technological advancements incorporated into the GENBETA car, Google Cloud played a role by providing generative artificial intelligence (AI) for analysing the drivers' runs. Leveraging its platform, Vertex AI, both Hughes and di Grassi had the unique advantage of interpreting real-time telemetry data to receive valuable recommendations concerning speed, power, and grip. This interactive interface enabled them to engage in meaningful conversations with the AI, allowing them to fine-tune their strategies and approaches throughout their three attempts.

The record attempt received crucial support from McKinsey & Company's experts, spearheaded by its AI arm, QuantumBlack. The team developed data and analytics components to construct a sophisticated driver interface. This interface utilised generative AI to analyse and process data in real-time, empowering the drivers with the ability to query and access crucial information during the attempt.

During the record-setting attempts, an adjudicator from Guinness World Records was present to meticulously monitor and verify that the drivers adhered to strict criteria. To officially establish the indoor land speed record, the GENBETA car was required to fulfil specific conditions. It had to commence the run from a static start within the confines of a single continuous building structure and, crucially, come to a complete stop within the same structure.

The drivers commenced their feat from a complete standstill within the ExCeL London events arena. Negotiating a challenging 130° turn at approximately 40km/h, they skillfully maneuvered their vehicles before swiftly accelerating along the straight section of the race track, stretching across a distance of 346 metres.

The indoor straight is part of the 2.09km track which is unique in world motorsport for extending inside and outside the 100,000sq/m ExCeL London events arena in the Docklands area of east London which will host the final two races in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

To accurately measure the drivers' speed during the record attempts, a sophisticated speed trap system was deployed. This high-tech system was strategically positioned at a fixed point, located a mere five meters before the drivers entered the crucial braking zone. The length of this track section was precisely calibrated to allow the vehicles to come to a complete stop while remaining entirely within the confines of the building structure. This meticulously designed speed trap system ensured precise and reliable speed measurements, playing a crucial role in the official verification of the world record attempt's success.

The world record was set late night on Tuesday, 25 July after construction work to install the track and grandstands at the venue was completed for the day.

World record holder Jake Hughes, Driver, NEOM McLaren Formula E team, said: “Driving the GENBETA car and setting the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the fastest speed achieved by a vehicle indoors was a really special experience. I feel very honoured to have been asked and to be involved in such an exciting project.

"It wasn’t something I ever imagined I’d have the opportunity to even attempt, so now to hold the record is pretty incredible, especially in a Formula E car. I didn’t realise how much I wanted this record until I saw Lucas [Di Grassi] trying to break the record after me. When I was announced I was the record holder I felt a massive sense of pride.”

Jeff Dodds, CEO, Formula E, said: “Huge congratulations to Jake and big thanks to Lucas for competing together to smash a world record and showcase the incredible potential of EVs. Everyone involved in the GENBETA project is driven by the same goal of pioneering innovation and development in EV technology and bringing that game-changing tech to the cars we drive on city streets to create a cleaner, electric future.”

Alessandra Ciliberti, Formula E Technical Manager, FIA, said: “The GENBETA is the first time that four-wheel drive has been activated in a single-seater race car for both acceleration and braking regeneration. This was achieved by turning on the front powertrain kit to achieve greater traction during acceleration. The GENBETA showcases what will be possible for Formula E racing in the near future.”