Australian mining magnate Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest has declared war on “noisy, smoky, smelly” Formula One at the launch of his new Formula E racing car.
The fully electric Fortescue Zero GEN4 was officially unveiled over the weekend, with Forrest addressing the crowd.
Fortescue Zero is the first Australian-owned and entered team in the sustainable open-wheel series.
The Australian billionaire, who is said to have a net worth of around $20bn, said he wanted the Formula E series to go head-to-head with the “old dinosaur” of Formula One, which he described as “noisy, smoky, smelly”.
“It sounds like the fossil fuel sector,” Forrest joked.
This wasn’t the only jab Forrest made at the industry responsible for his fortune.
“This is about serious, savage competition,” Forrest said after the car’s reveal.
“There’s only one other competition I’ve seen which is more cutthroat, more deadly, and more dangerous than this sport, and that’s fossil fuel.”
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The next season of Formula E starts in late December, and runs into 2027.
The opening race will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and will be the first time the new GEN4 cars take to the track competitively.
Dan Ticktum and Taylor Barnard will be driving the new Fortescue Zero car, with Jim Wright working as team principal.
“Launching a new racing outfit is a significant challenge, and that’s exactly what makes it exciting,” Ticktum said.
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“This is the world’s first look at who we are. But the real work is well underway, to be ready, push hard and deliver as a team when we begin running on-circuit next week.”
For the moment, there are no Australian races on the Formula E calendar. But, speculation has been brewing that could soon change.
Earlier this year, Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds said the category is exploring potential venues both here and in New Zealand.
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Plans to bring the sustainable racing series to Australia have been ongoing for a number of years. However, there’s been renewed interest after Fortescue purchased the DS Penske racing team.
“Our connections are obviously better now with Fortescue coming in,” Dodds said.
“Now that they’re on board, [Andrew Forrest] will certainly have an interest in us racing in Australia.”
As for Forrest, he believes Fortescue is currently taking part in two competitions.
“If we lose the climate race it’s over. We’re not going to lose that race.”