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F1
F1 car vs MotoGP bike vs rally car: Watch the ultimate drag race!
Which of these insane motorsports vehicles is the quickest in a straight line: MotoGP™, Rally, WRC or Electric Supervans?
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If you challenged an F1 car, MotoGP™ bike, World Rallycross car, WRC car and an electric vehicle, the Ford SuperVan 4.2, to a drag race, who do you think would win? The ultimate drag race reveals which vehicle has the quickest straight-line speed over a quarter-mile drag strip.
Is F1 faster than MotoGP?
It's not an easy one to call. As everyone knows, F1 cars are the fastest on four wheels, but are they quicker than a MotoGP™ bike? Modern WRC cars are quick, too, while World Rallycross cars are specifically built for short sprints. And don't write off the Ford SuperVan 4.2 – they're direct drive and very quick off the mark.
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Who's competing in the ultimate drag race?
Piloting the vehicles are the cream of international motorsport. F1’s newest driver and Red Bull Racing test driver Liam Lawson is at the wheel of the World Championship-winning RB8, while MotoGP™ race-winner and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing development rider Dani Pedrosa takes the RC16
WRX champion Timmy Hansen piloted his Team Peugeot-Hansen 208 rallycross car and WRC star Adrien Fourmaux is in a Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1. Finally, as a wildcard, legendary Le Mans-winner Romain Dumas is in a Ford SuperVan 4.2, an all-electric beast that he took to the top of the 2023 Pikes Peak Hill Climb.
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The vehicles in the ultimate drag race
Ready for action
© Red Bull
The tension builds
© Alex Carmichael/Carwow/Red Bull Content Pool
Drivers, start your engines!
© Alex Carmichael/Carwow/Red Bull Content Pool
The RC16 of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing driver Dani Pedrosa
© Alex Carmichael/Carwow/Red Bull Content Pool
Vehicle
Engine
Output
Weight
Red Bull Racing RB8
Renault RS27 2.4 V8
850hp
640kg
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16
1,000cc
270hp
160kg
Peugeot 208 RX1e
1,000cc Turbo
500kW (680bhp)
1300kg
M-Sport Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1
1.6lt Ecoboost Hybrid Turbo + 100 kW electric motor
550hp
1260kg
Ford SuperVan 4.2
50kWh battery powering three x STARD UHP 6-phase motors
2,000 hp (1,500 kW)
1680kg
The race set-up: How to win the ultimate drag race
The race was set up as a best-of-three competition, with all vehicles starting simultaneously and speeding down a drag strip on a remote airfield. The first to cross the finish line would be declared the winner. To add an extra layer of excitement, two amateur drivers competed alongside the professional motorsports drivers.
Race 1: Can any vehicle beat the F1 car?
Dani Pedrosa riding for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
© Philip Platzer/Red Bull Content Pool
The tension at the start line was electric, with every driver intensely focused as the signal went off. Dani Pedrosa on his MotoGP bike and the World Rally Championship car driven by Matt Jones and Mat Watson rocketed into the lead. Liam Lawson in his F1 car steadily gained ground, moving into second place. But Pedrosa on his MotoGP bike was unstoppable, crossing the finish line first! The MotoGP bike triumphed over the F1 car in this opening round. Timmy Hansen in his Rallycross car finished last, even trailing behind the amateurs in the World Rally Championship car.
Race 2: Major upset for the World Rally Championship car drivers
The motorbike blazed to victory in the first race, but what twists await us in round two? 3, 2, 1 - go! At the sound of the gun, the bike and the WR race car rocketed to the lead. The F1 car surged forward, overtaking the WR race car in a flash - but not the bike. Once again, Dani Pedrosa's speed was unmatched, claiming victory in the second race. Timmy Hansen in the WR race car crossed the line second, just behind Liam Lawson in the F1 car.
For amateur drivers Matt Jones and Mat Watson it was a race to forget - as driver Watson hit the hand break instead of neutral and slowed down significantly.
Race 3: One vehicle clearly steals the show!
Frustrated by the results of the first two races, Mat Watson left the World Rally Championship car and returned with a new contender. Entering the third race was a fourth competitor - a Ford SuperVan 4.2 driven by Romain Dumas.
But this wasn't just any van - the Ford E-Transit SuperVan packs a whopping 1,500kW, equivalent to 2,040 horsepower! As Dani Pedrosa on his MotoGP bike set the pace, he became the one to beat. Once again, Pedrosa and Hansen burst off the line the fastest. Despite making up ground, the F1 car and the Ford E-Transit SuperVan couldn't outpace the bike.
The ultimate drag race champion was Dani Pedrosa on his MotoGP bike. In this thrilling third race, the Ford SuperVan finished second, the F1 car took third, followed by the WR race car and the World Rally Championship car.
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Who won the ultimate drag race?
Lawson congratulates Pedrosa on his win
© Alex Carmichael/Carwow/Red Bull Content Pool
Race
P1
P2
1
MotoGP™
F1
2
MotoGP™
F1
3
MotoGP™
Ford Supervan
Over the 400m distance, no one could beat the mighty Dani Pedrosa and his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16. The Spaniard has put in the hard yards developing the KTMs to transform the revolutionary steel-framed bikes into race-winners. He was followed home closely by Lawson in the RB8 in the opening two rounds, but the real shock was the all-out electric power of the Ford Supervan 4.2 beating the F1 car by 0.1 sec in the final heat.
According to Pedrosa, he had even more power in his right hand, but needed to moderate it to make sure his tyre had maximum grip. This gave him the fastest-possible getaway on the slippery surface. “It was tricky at first not to use too much power so I could get the best traction,” he said.
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