AUDI Q5 GOES ROCK CLIMBING
Pioneering rock scaler Apoorva guides two pals into Himalayan thin air, step
by dizzy step
IN MANY WAYS, THE 80s were the golden age of the quintessential manly man, when bigger was unquestionably better, hairy chests were sexy, Springsteen ruled the radio waves, and Formula cars were for the mentally imbalanced. The ’80s gave us legends like Senna, Prost, Piquet, the first forced induction Formula one car and most of all, a renaissance. Things have changed now, manly men are a thing of the past, and are mostly found semi-pickled in bars, bleating on about the good old days.
Efficiency and cost-effectiveness is the theme of the new millennium, and the ushers for this new generation, Senna, Prost and Piquet. Introducing Formula E, the first ever fully electric single-seater racing series. While the last names may be familiar, the generations are different. Bruno Senna (Ayrton’s Nephew), Nicolas Prost (Alain’s son) and Nelson Piquet Junior are among the more prominent names on the circuit. The lone Indian racer in this all important series is Karun Chandhok, who for the first time in his career, is representing an indian team in the form of Mahindra Racing. The guttural scream that has come to be associated with Formula racing may be replaced by the jet-like drone of an electric racing car, but if the first race sets the tone for what this series holds in store, the manly man may not be extinct after all, simply evolved.
Formula One may well still be the pinnacle of formula racing, but what Formula E brings to the table is a promise. One that says the future of motorheads is secure, that when the last drop of fuel has met its fiery end, that man’s pursuit of speed can be continued. Right from the get-go some good-old fashioned anarchy ensued as pole-sitter Bruno Senna’s wheel
Why Formula E is being hailed as the “future” The first race set the tone for what this series holds: old-school racing
came straight off the chassis, and turmoil followed right up to the last corner where, Nicolas Prost’s attempt at a last-minute dive on Nick Heidfeld ended with the former spiralling through the air in a huff of metal, fuel and testosterone, making Lucas di Grassi the first ever winner of the Formula E series. The polar bears are happy, the manly men are back, and this may well be the next Golden Age of Formula racing.