The rally car is the fastest to the start line.
Formula E, Formula One and World Rally Championship are some of the most popular forms of motorsport around the globe. Top Gear was in a position to gather a vehicle from each series to race in drag races to determine which one was fastest.
The WRC machine is a Ford Fiesta. Formula E is from the DS team. The F1 racer is from Mercedes AMG so it’s not a vehicle that would run at the back in grand prix.
It is worth noting that the drag race runway is wet and the Fiesta WRC has an all-wheel-drive system that gives it an advantage in such conditions. Although Ford leads the race, it doesn’t stay there.
The Mercedes-AMG F1 Mercedes-Benz car takes the lead and doesn’t let go. The tires create tall water rooster tails on the wet runway.
Last place goes to the DS Formula E. In drag racing, the EV is not a challenger. Although it looks like the vehicle has a slight advantage over the Fiesta WRC in this instance, there would be more track needed to pass. Because rally cars have shorter gearing, high top speeds are not an issue when you’re negotiating tight off-road stages.
Top Gear’s guys are thrilled by the spectacle of the race. We would love to be there in drag racing with them, however. They must be amazing from only a few feet away.
We would expect similar results on a dry track. Although the F1 car may win by a greater margin, the all-wheel-drive WRC vehicle would likely beat the Formula E racer.