The Guinnes World Record for the fastest speed achieved by a vehicle indoors has been broken by British motorsports driver Jake Hughes.
Jake Hughes of the NEOM McLaren Formula E team broke the Guinness world record for the fastest speed achieved by a vehicle indoors driving a modified Gen 3 electric Formula vehicle. Hughes achieved a top speed of 218.71 kilometres per hour, which is nearly 50 kilometres per hour faster than the previous record.
Hughes set the record late at night on Tuesday, July 25, inside the ExCeL London events arena while competing with Mahindra Racing team driver Lucas di Grassi. The duo went head-to-head to see who could set the fastest speed on an indoor track. To be specific, they attempted that on the straight section of the track, which measured just 346 metres.
The pair were monitored by an adjudicator from Guinness World Records to make sure they met a strict criteria. Their speed was measured by a speed trap system set up at a fixed point just five metres before the drivers entered the “braking zone,” which is the length of track needed for them to come to a complete stop.
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The modified “GENBETA” car put out 400 kilowatts of power, up from the 350 kilowatts of the gen 3 car that was introduced in the 2022 seasons of Formula E. The car used a softer “iON” Race tyre compound, which according to Formula E allowed for faster warm-up and better peak grip. It also made use of 3D-printed front wing endplates, wheel fins and a wind deflector to optimise aerodynamics and straight-line speed.
Not surprisingly, the indoor land speed record was previously held by another electric car, albeit a production model—the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. American driver Leh Keen set the record of 165.20 kilometres per hour at the New Orleans Convention Center in Louisiana, United States on February 10, 2021. That was the first time the record was broken since 2013, when the record was 140 kilometres per hour.
During their attempts on Tuesday, both Hughes and di Grassi flew past those records till eventually, Hughes came out on top, beating di Grassi’s best by a small margin.
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First published on: 28-07-2023 at 15:16 IST
