An eight-time Olympic gold medalist made a surprise guest appearance at the 2024 Formula E season opener in Mexico City — and even took one of the cars for a test drive before the main event.
The person behind the wheel? The record-holding fastest man in the world: Usain Bolt, who ran the 100-meter dash in 9.58 seconds.
Bolt's appearance and participation in the Formula E event was a fantastic way to bring more attention to the sustainable motorsport competition in which drivers race specially modified electric vehicles.
🏎️♾️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/cR0FpROFnn
— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) January 16, 2024
"It 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," Bolt said, as reported by The Independent.
"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," he continued.
Formula E racing has been receiving more celebrity endorsements and features in the media, and its rising popularity may be a significant step toward creating a cooler, cleaner future for the Earth.
Traditional motorsport competitions like Formula One rely on gas-powered engines, but Formula E's electric vehicles are a much more environmentally conscious alternative, as their tailpipes produce zero pollution during races. That means they're not pumping harmful pollutants into the air while zooming around the track.
The Formula E events also tend to promote more eco-friendly practices by incorporating sustainability-related educational sections in their fan zones, removing single-use plastics at their event sites, extending the life cycle of lithium-ion batteries, and not providing public parking at races to encourage fans to opt for public transport instead.
Fans showed their love for the collaboration between the international superstar athlete and the world's fastest-growing motorsport.
"As a former track and field athlete and a fan of single-seater racing for more than a decade….this is awesome," one racing enthusiast commented on Formula E's official YouTube video of Bolt in the GenBETA.
"He's found a new level of speed," another person wrote.
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