To drum up a bit of excitement ahead of the 2016/2017 Formula E season opener in Marrakesh, the burgeoning series dropped Lucas Di Grassi onto an arctic ice cap in Greenland, where he duly proceeded to rip some all-electric donuts on camera.
Although it's a surefire way to get people talking about Formula E, CEO Alejandro Agag is adamant the stunt was designed to draw attention to more than just his fairly youthful racing series. Instead, he says it's more evidence of Formula E's environmental commitment, drawing attention to the damaging effects of climate change.
It's a noble goal, but we're not sure shipping a car to Greenland was the best way to achieve it. Sure, Di Grassi didn't emit any local emissions during his donut display, but the environmental cost of shipping cars, people and cameras to the Arctic Circle is massive. That's not to mention the emissions involved in manufacturing, or the impact of charging electric cars using coal-fired power stations.
Rather than focusing on the obvious problems with the stunt, let's just stick in the wow, that's cool category, right next to the memory of Max Verstappen drifting a Red Bull RB7 in Kitzbühel.
Along with a brief teaser video below, a full-length documentary about the stunt will be released on November 13 this year.
Source: Formula E
