Wheels 26 Oct 2017

October 26, 2017

Witness

WHEELS

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KZN’s Brett Swanepoel will be chasing Kenny Gilbert at the Atlas Copco Gold 400 in Gauteng’s West Rand this weekend.

MORE RACING ON PAGE 4

… NOW YOU’RE MOTORING

X­Class gets thumbs up in Chile SIBONELO MYENI discovers Chileans like their double cabs as much as we do in Mzansi THE Mercedes X­Class double cab is one of the most hotly an­ ticipated cars not only in the bakkie segment but also inter­ estingly, the SUV segment.

The local launch of the X220d and X250d is now confirmed aft­ er June next year, with the X350d coming later in the year.

We, meanwhile, went to San­ tiago, Chile to find out if it’s worth the hype.

South American countries are as mad for their bakkies as we are in Mzansi.

In the city of Santiago every second car you see is a double cab, just like Durban.

Wherever we stopped, the X­Class caused a stir with on­ lookers who asked many ques­ tions in rapid­fire Spanish (“En­ glisho speak” was generally our response). But their literal thumbs up suggests the X­Class will create much fanfare in Mzansi.

LED daytime lights, twin­lou­ vre radiator grille with the prom­ inent three­pointed star domi­ nate the front. 17­inch to 18­inch wheel options are offered with the 18s the one to go for.

Metallic colour options and three levels of cladding are of­ fered, starting off with the entry level Pure, mid­range Progres­ sive topping with the luxury Power.

Customers can add a styling bar, canopy, various covers as well as numerous cargo and off­

road solutions — all developed and designed by Mercedes.

Of these two I’d take the rock­ slider­lookalike side steps, to add to that off­road look, and mud flaps. For to me the rear of the X­Class looks unfinished with­ out large mudflaps.

The five­seat interior main­ tains the current design theme in Mercedes­Benz passenger cars, with the dash mounted central Command infotainment screen and really comfortable seats.

The rear seats are positioned higher than the front, aiding all round visibility. Fit and finish is generally good but there are some suspect items that are not Merc level in terms of quality.

There are three interior trim options, six seat covers includ­ ing two leather variants and two colour roof linings to help buyers customise their interiors.

As usual with Merc, buyers will have an extensive list of inte­ rior options to choose from, which can quickly add half the vehicle’s value.

Like all Mercedes­Benz vehi­ cles, the X­Class features passive and active safety equipment in­ cluding Active Brake Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Traffic Sign Assist, among others. Con­ nectivity is also offered with the Mercedes ME app.

Three diesel engines are of­ fered, with two available at launch. The 2.3­litre Turbo die­

All the rear needs to finish the bakkie look are mud guards.

sel X220d has 120kW while the 2.3­litre Bi­Turbo diesel X250d has 140kW. Both these models come with either rear­wheel drive only, or shift­on­the­fly all­wheel drive that has a low range. Unfortu­ nately, the rear­wheel drive mod­ els don’t come with a rear diff­ lock, even as an option, a de­ mand that Merc should rectify as this is a big demand for Mzan­ si and European drivers.

A six­speed manual transmis­ sion comes standard with a sev­ en­speed automatic available as an option.

At launch we drove the X250d all­wheel drive and it felt refined especially from inside the cabin.

Power delivery was noticeably better than its Navara cousin.

Low­down torque delivery aids off road drivability as well.

On gravel and in off­road driv­ ing, the all­wheel drive X250d offers unheard of levels of refine­ ment, noise insulation and vi­ bration management for the double cab segment and will def­ initely poach SUV buyers.

We also got passenger rides in the X350d, the model set for launch in 2018. This model gets a 190kW/550Nm 3­litre V6 Tur­ bo diesel linked to a 7G Tronic Plus Auto transmission driving through a permanent 4Matic all­wheel drive system.

The Dynamic Select is availa­ ble in addition. This model will definitely be the sports model for X­Class buyers.

The unique suspension set­up allows for rugged roads as well as on­road refinement, offering SUV levels of comfort, albeit with that occasional “bakkie” feel over the bumps.

The stiff suspension liked be­ ing pushed on the twisty bits of our test route, where the X­Class felt sure­footed with minimal understeer and roll. Rear passen­ ger comfort was also the best of any double cab I have ever sat in, including the KBs our KZN farmers like so much.

• Full disclosure: Mercedes­Benz SA sponsored the trip to South America.

• Catch Sibonelo Myeni live on Ukhozi FM, each Thursday from 7.45 am to 8 am.

The X­Class was introduced to Chile’s bakkie­loving drivers this week and our correspondent Sibonelo Myeni was there. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

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WitnessWheels MOTORING

October 26, 2017

COMPANIES CHECK KOBE’S STEEL MITSUBISHI Heavy, Toyota and Subaru have issued media state­ ments in reaction to Kobe Steel’s ad­ mission last week that it had system­ atically certified products as safe aft­ er they failed quality control tests and sold them to about 500 companies.

Bloomberg reported inspection certificates of flat­rolled and extrud­ ed aluminium as well as copper prod­ ucts shipped between September last year to August this year had been is­ sued with false safety certification ratings.

Companies that use the sheets range from Boeing to Ford and Toyo­ ta motor companies.

Toyota said in response it had ur­ gently investigated the impact on Toyota and Lexus vehicles and the in­ itial investigation identified alumi­ num plates purchased both directly from Kobe Steel and via other suppli­

ers were used in certain vehicles, pri­ marily in the construction of bon­ nets, rear hatches and other compo­ nents of their vehicles.

Toyota also examined the data for three years back and verified strength and durability of the affected alumi­ num plates, using the data Kobe pro­ vided that was furthest outside of Toyota’s specifications.

“Based on that analysis, we con­ firmed that the materials satisfy ap­ plicable statutory standards, and our own internal standard, for key safety and durability requirements for vehi­ cles,” said Toyota in a statement.

The investigation is now working to identify the impact of affected non­aluminum materials on vehi­ cles. Subaru in Japan also confirmed the aluminium panel material meets all the automakers’ internal safety standards. — WR.

SCANIA JOINS ELECTRIC RACE

Scania Scania bus bus boss boss Karin Karin Rådström Rådström PHOTO: PHOTO: SCANIA SCANIA

SCANIA has unveiled a hybrid Sca­ nia Interlink Low Decker and the bat­ tery electric Scania Citywide bus at Belgium’s biggest bus show in Kor­ trijk.

Scania also premiered its battery electric Scania Citywide Low Floor bus at Busworld.

This bus will go on sale next year.

Karin Rådström, head of buses and coaches at Scania, said rapid sub­ urbanisation rather than expanding city centres around the world re­ quired a greater focus on finding non­fossil alternatives for these jour­ neys.”

Rådström said Scania will have the

most comprehensive range with the widest selection of alternative fuels in the market. This include the elec­ tric buses of BYD, Proterra, Mer­ cedes­Benz and Volvo, as well as a slew of independent operators.

She is confident freedom of choice with retained total operating econo­ my will make the necessary shift from diesel burners to more sustainable passenger transport services. — WR.

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QUALITY USED LOW MILEAGE ENGINES AND GEABOXES Brand New Turbos for most makes of vehicles

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Mercedes­Benz has rounded out its E­Class family with the new E­Class Cabriolet in three soft top models, the E220d for R919 500, the E300 for R955 500 and the E400 4MATIC for R1 134 500. In all three models, the classic soft fabric hides the latest technology in LED lights and even Merc’s AIRSCARF neck heater system. PHOTO: QUICKPIC

VW starts Ntinga 10 finalists chosen for potential contract to supply VWSA

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FOLLOWING on from the successful VWSA Black­Owned Suppliers’ Day held in 2016, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has extended its assistance to strategically align black­owned suppliers in the automotive sector by launching the Ntinga Project.

The project was launched last Thurs­ day in Uitenhage. Ntinga is a Xhosa word which means to soar and by offering busi­ ness mentorship and training to up­and­ coming suppliers, Volkswagen hopes they will rise to great heights in the auto­ motive sector and beyond.

The Ntinga Project started with over 300 suppliers being approached and as­ sessed by the Automotive Supply Chain Competitiveness Initiative (ASCCI) who, together with the Volkswagen B­BBEE Trust and Volkswagen Group South Africa, chose 10 finalists to be part of the launch.

The 10 finalists will be mentored and coached over the next month by existing VWSA suppliers.

The end goal of this coaching is for the suppliers to successfully present their business plan to a panel of judges on No­ vember 29 where five winners will be cho­

From left: Takalani Tambani, Nonkqubela Maliza and Thomas Schaefer, VWSA. PHOTO: MOTOR­ PRESS sen.

These five winners will then embark on an 18­month intensive business­based mentoring and coaching programme.

“As Volkswagen, we are committed to developing and supporting black­owned suppliers and I am happy to announce that should these five suppliers complete the 18­month programme successfully they will be offered contracts with VWSA,” said Thomas Schaefer, VWSA chairperson and managing director.

The mentoring and coaching given

during the 18­month programme will be conducted by the VWSA Learning Acad­ emy, VWSA B­BBEE Trust, ASCCI and other VWSA divisions to make sure that the five suppliers receive a wide range of skills that will make them successful at the end of the 18 months.

“It is imperative that we as VWSA ac­ tively bring black­owned suppliers into an arena where they are able to success­ fully compete and operate as automotive industry suppliers,” said Schaefer.

— Motorpress.

Haval H6 rolled three times in safety test ON October 13, the most rigorous open rollover test for a Chinese SUV was car­ ried out in the Real Car Collision Labora­ tory of the China Automotive Technolo­ gy and Research Centre (CATARC) in Ti­ anjin for the first time.

The test standards are more rigorous and advanced than those in Europe and the United States, with a faster initial roll­ over speed of 50 km/h and increasing mass with one more dummy added, re­ sulting in a more intense rollover.

The test becomes more comprehensive with another H3 5% dummy (Short adult female figure) added on the passenger seat. In this way, it is possible to assess the safety performance of the automobile for passengers of different body types and locations.

A new Haval H6 with panoramic sun­ roof, one of the most popular in the Chi­ nese market, was selected for the test.

At the test site, the H6 was pushed at a speed of 49,8 km/h by the rolling ma­ chine, and then it rolled for three and a half rounds on the asphalt concrete pave­ ment specially laid.

Although it is widely thought that a sunroof is regarded as a weakness by low­ ering body strength, the high strength steel body of the New Haval H6 with laser welding technology remained complete in the test.

Doors stay closed and no visible crush or bending is found in the A/pillar and

China selected Great Wall Motors’ new Haval H6 with a sunroof for its new, rigorous roll­over safety test.

After the vehicle bounced and rolled three times on a tarred surace, all the doors opened and the test dummies had little damage.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC B/pillar. As to the rescue work after roll­ over, all the doors of the New Haval H6 can be opened without hassle.

The constraint system is not locked, the seat belt can be opened normally, and there is no sign of fuel tank leakage, which prevents a fire risk after rollover.

The data collected from the dummy showed probability the head and neck damage to the driver is 0,3% and 5,3%

respectively, while those for the assistant driver are 0,3% and 6,9%. The risk is low, proving that the new Haval H6 is effective in protecting its passengers.

GWM said in designing the new Haval H6, over 5 000 virtual simulation analy­ ses have been conducted, which have helped the new Haval H6 to reach the goal of safety performance in the first round model collision test. — WR.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

October 26, 2017

Price vs safety

3

MEET THE VALKYRIE

Little Chinese hatch offers best compromise in AA’s new report THE Chery QQ3 1,1 TXE, which re­ tails for only R140 700, offers the best compromise between low price and safety features in the Automobile Association (AA) second annual En­ try­Level Vehicle Safety Report.

The little Chinese hatch received an “acceptable” safety score among its affordable peers.

The report considered the safety features of 25 small hatches currently retailing for under R160 000 in SA. In terms of the number of safety features, the Toyota Aygo and Nissan Micra 1,2 Visia+ scored over 50 points, with the Renault Kwid 1,0 Ex­ pression, Kia Picant 1,0 Start and Datsun Go+ 1,2 Lux topping the poor safety rating. The Chery scored only moderately, ahead of the Chevrolet Spark 1,2 Curve and Mitsubishi Mi­ rage 1,2 GL. The AA said in a statement price remains main driving factor in peo­ ple’s decisions to buy vehicles and the report aimed to highlight the im­ portance of safety features in new cars and encourage car buyers to con­ sider safety — not only price — to avoid adding to last year’s death toll on SA’s roads of 14 071 people.

The association notes this is espe­ cially important as many of the peo­ ple who are buying or driving entry­ level vehicles are often those with the least driving experience and, as such, this makes safety features even more critical.

The AA said it was disappointing that vehicles listed in last year’s re­ port, most of which are still on sale, carry similar, if not the same, limited safety equipment as standard.

The 25 vehicles surveyed for the second instalment of the Entry­Level Vehicle Safety Report were evaluated against the number of active safety features they have (anti­lock braking systems, electronic stability control),

and passive safety features (airbags).

The AA said none of the cheap hatches had electronic stability con­ trol (ESC), which could save lives in roads with poor drainage where sand and debris pile up on the road sur­ face.

A commendable finding, however, is that 11 of the 25 identified vehicles have ABS and electronic brake­force distribution (EBD) installed — a positive step towards increasing the overall safety of vehicles.

None of the vehicles in this year’s sample was crash­tested by the EU­ RO New Car Assessment Pro­ gramme (NCAP), which the AA only uses if the models sold in SA are iden­ tical to the one tested in Europe.

Instead, the AA uses a point­based system with weights allocated to safety features.

Active safety features such as ABS and ESC were given the most signifi­ cant weights (30 points each), while each airbag scored 10.

The only exception is the curtain airbag, which scores 20 points, as studies show these airbags can dra­ matically reduce life threatening head injuries by up to 50%.

The survey is the result of desktop research, and specifically assesses safety features only. It does not con­ sider the structural integrity of the driver/passenger compartment.

The 25 vehicles are then catego­ rised into three groups based on their safety ratings according to the AA survey. These cars are noted for hav­ ing either: •Acceptable safety, •Moderate safety, or, •Poor safety.

• A full list of the vehicles assessed, their safety ratings, and their Safety/ Affordability scores, is available at https://aa­sa.co/ELVS­report. — WR. Seven young people died in this hatch when the driver was involved in a head­on collision in Limpopo.

The AA urges people to look at safety, not savings when buying a car.

PHOTO: NETCARE911

When your teens drive A MISTAKE parents make when in­ suring their child’s car is failing to specify the child as the primary driver or as one of the drivers of a vehicle.

One of the reasons parents sometimes neglect to name their child as the primary driver is be­ cause premiums for younger driv­ ers are typically higher as the younger a driver is, the less experi­ enced they are, he said.

Nazeer Hoosen, CEO of PPS Short­Term Insurance, a subsidiary of the PPS Group, however warned if the parents do not properly in­ sure the car with the details of

the actual driver, they could be in for a massive financial outlay if their child is involved in a motor vehicle accident. One way to lower the premium of the policy for a younger driver is to take on risk by increasing the excess, he said. The second is to stay away from high performance cars as a first car for a young driver.

Hoosen said it is actually not a problem that the car is insured in the parent’s name, as long as full disclosures are made in terms of the primary driver, age and risk de­ tails at inception or when the risk changes. — WR.

Red Bull Racing aerodynamicist Adrian Newey is responsible for the insane underbody of the Aston Marton Valkyrie, which has now released as a road­legal but striped­out two­seater for people who can afford bespoke hypercars. The Valkyrie is set for production in 2018, and Aston Martin says the design is 95% complete. PHOTO: ASTON MARTIN

WitnessWheels MOTORING

RACING

4

October 26, 2017

Second is good enough

WORLD RALLY GOES TO WALES

Botterill and Vacy­Lyle team crowned 2017 SA national rally champions

THE penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Champi­ onship is being hosted in the forests of Wales this weekend and Saturday could decide the title after one of the closest fought seasons in which six drivers from all four competing manufactur­ ers have claimed wins.

Nine­time world champion Sébastien Loeb, and Britain’s most successful co­driver Nicky Grist, will comment on Red Bull TV. They have 99 wins be­ tween them and will provide expert insights as this year’s leaders Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have their first chance to take an im­ pressive fifth world title and their M­Sport team look set to clinch what would be an emotional and historic victo­ ry in the Manufacturers’ Championship on home soil.

The field of 79 cars is the biggest since the rally moved to north Wales in 2013, so competition will be fierce in all the categories, not least the FIA WRC 2 Championship, where 23 crews will be fighting for top honours.

— WR.

TOYOTA Gazoo Racing SA’s Guy Botterill and navigator Si­ mon Vacy­Lyle secured the 2017 South African National Rally Championship with a second­ place finish at the final round of the season, the Carnival City Ral­ ly. The pair started the event trail­ ing championship leaders Rich­ ard Leeke and navigator Henry Köhne (Ford) by just four points, ensuring a tight race at the top.

As it turned out, it was Leeke/ Köhne who drew first blood, when they opened up a 10­sec­ ond lead on the opening stage after the Toyota crew wrong­ slotted. But Botterill/Vacy­Lyle fought back on Stage 2, clawing back a single second — only to lose two more seconds to the Ford crew on the next stage.

The championship fight was clearly turning into the battle fans had hoped for.

Leeke/Köhn pushed hard on Stage 4, extending their lead over Botterill/Vacy­Lyle by three sec­ onds, but the Toyota Gazoo Rac­ ing SA crew remained in touch with the early leaders, planning on striking back at the start of Day 2.

“Unfortunately, the fight nev­ er reached day two,” said Botterill after completing the event.

“Richard and Henry’s car wouldn’t start on the open sec­

Guy Botterill and navigator Simon Vacy­Lyle secured the 2017 South African National Rally Championship. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS tion after Stage 4. They had an electrical problem of sorts, and were forced to retire.”

Interestingly, Leeke’s retire­ ment increased his lead in the championship, as he now had a DNF score to drop — putting him nine points ahead of Botterill/Va­ cy­Lyle by retiring from the final round.

This meant that the Toyota Etios crew had to finish on the podium in order to ensure victo­ ry in the title race.

“We knew we couldn’t relax entirely,” continued Botterill.

“But at the same time, it took the pressure off us in a big way.”

With Leeke/Köne out, Botter­ ill/Vacy­Lyle set about their busi­

ness in a professional manner.

The pair maintained an excel­ lent pace throughout the remain­ der of the rally, but never took any chances.

They finished the event in sec­ ond place overall — 42 seconds behind event winners AC Pot­ gieter and Nico Swartz (Volks­ wagen).

“This year’s championship was a really tough one. Richard was a fierce competitor through­ out, and it is a pity that the fight didn’t last to the final day of the season. Even so, we are over the moon with our championship,” said Botterill after the rally.

Botterill/Vacy­Lyle had won the Class S1600 championship three times previously, but this is their first championship in the new front­wheel­drive era, which sees the former Class S1600 cars as the top­flight of South African Rallying.

This means that Botterill will now join rally legends such as Leeroy Poulter, Serge Damseaux, Jan Habig and Hergen Fekken as a South African National Rally champion.

Toyota Motorsport South Af­ rica acknowledges its sponsors and specialist official supplier and technical partners.

Toyota enjoys a mutually ben­ eficial relationship with Total, Toyota Financial Services and the Innovation Group. Also, Im­ perial Toyota, SKF, Spanjaard, Robor, OMP, NGK, Donaldson, Mastercraft, Edgecam, 3M, Ban­ dit Signs, Shatterprufe, Supreme Springs, Smith’s Manufacturing, TRD, Peritus Forex, RTT and First National Battery.

— Motorpress.

Championships still up for grabs Atlas Copco Gold 400 CHARMAINE FORTUNE DESPITE not having competed at national level for almost three months, motorcycle and quad competitors are fighting fit and looking forward to the Atlas Copco Gold 400, the sixth and final round of the SA Cross Country Championship that takes place on October 27 and October 28 at Glenharvie on the West Rand in Gauteng.

Most of the championship ti­ tles are still up for grabs and with only a few points separating com­ petitors, nail biting racing can be expected.

Other than the previous rounds, competitors will be com­ peting over two days with the 50 km time trial to take place on Friday while three loops of 100 kilometres await them on Satur­ day.

In the motorcycle champion­ ship, Ross Branch (Brother Lead­ er Tread KTM) has already clinched the overall number one plate and secured the OR1 (Open) Championship title, but this will not stop him from want­ ing to win for the fifth time this season.

Behind him, the overall podi­ um can still change. Only a few points separate the top six from each other, while a mere seven

points cover the riders from sev­ enth to tenth place and a shake­ up in the current standings is very possible.

Kenny Gilbert (Liqui Moly Racing Husqvarna), currently second overall, has a narrow lead over Brett Swanepoel (Pepson Plastics Husqvarna), who missed the Harrismith race due to over­ seas racing commitments. Both will fight to stay on the podium and they will also battle it out for the best position behind Branch.

Louwrens Mahoney (Brother Leader Tread KTM) will hunt Swanepoel down, but he will be chased by Tristan Purdon (Bid­ vest Blu Cru Yamaha) who can close the small points’ gap.

Purdon’s team­mate Kyle Flanagan was haunted by injuries this year, but he only missed the Harrismith event and trails his team­mate by eight points.

The rest of the top 10 cannot really catch those ahead of them, but their current standings can look different after the final event.

Charan Moore (Live Lesotho Racing Yamaha) is seventh and ahead of Juan “Bollie” van Rooy­ en (Brother Leader Tread KTM) who leads Jaycee Nienaber (Su­ per Moose KTM) with Louw Schmidt (Brother Leader Tread KTM) a little further behind.

OR1 Championship Purdon and Gilbert will continue their podium battle in the OR1 Championship where Gilbert is third, one point behind Purdon.

With the drop points system, where competitors have to drop their worst result scored at each of the six rounds, now coming in­ to play, Gilbert might feel a little more comfortable as he did not finish or score at the opening round due to a crash while Pur­ don has a full score sheet.

Ruan Potgieter (KTM) is somewhat further back in fourth place while fifth­placed Schmidt can overtake Tim Young who will miss this event.

In the quad category, the de­ fending champion Hannes Saaij­ man (Q­KON EMD Basefit Rac­ ing KTM) leads Pierre van Heer­ den (Honda) with Keenan Hammon (Yamaha) and Stef Bester (VANS Racing Division Yamaha) third and fourth re­ spectively, but Saaijman is not safe and will have to score points and hope that everything falls in­ to place for him to take another title.

The action will start and finish at the Kloof Country Club in Glenharvie. Saturday’s race starts at 7.15 am.

Entrance to the event and spe­ catator points are free.

KZN’s Brett Swanepoel was one of only 25 riders to finish the Erzberg — the toughest of all hard enduros — this year.

PHOTO: RED BULL TV

Binder gets his first podium in Moto2

Brad Binder on the podium in Oz. PHOTO: RED BULL

LAST Sunday at the Australian GP could not have gone better for the Red Bull KTM Ajo Mo­ to2 team at Phillip Island.

A historic day for the team, the Austrian factory and for Portugal saw Miguel Oliveira take his first victory in the class, giving KTM their first win in their maiden year in Moto2.

This great success was capped off by the first podium for Brad Binder, a rookie this year, in second place.

Binder posted that he had a great start and was up there with Oliveira early in the race, but credited his team­mate for having a very good pace and not making any mistakes.

The South African then had

a battle with Franco Morbidelli for second place.

With seven laps remaining, Binder was relegated to fourth place. But a crash for another rider and his coming out on top in the duel with Morbidelli allowed the South African to take second place.

“Now that’s more like it. So stoked with my 2nd position

today and my first podium in moto2,” Binder tweeted after the race.

Both Oliveira and Binder gained positions in the overall standings as a result of their historic Australian GP. With just two rounds of the season remaining, Binder enters the top 10 in his first year in Mo­ to2 at 89 points. — WR.

FORMULA E HAS ROME BUZZING FOUR Formula E all­electric single­seater racers quietly buzzed around Rome last week to launch the E­Prix that will be hosted in Italy’s capital on April 14.

Leading the pack was reigning champion and Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler driver Lucas di Grassi, touring the city alongside former cham­ pions Sebastien Buemi (Renault e.dams) and Nel­ son Piquet Jr. (Panasonic Jaguar Racing).

They were joined by new­ ly­signed Italian NIO Formula E driver Luca Filippi.

With the course being an­ nounced during the event, the Circuto Cittadino dell’EUR will be the second longest track in the calendar at 2,84 km in length.

Formula E founder and CEO Alejandro Agag said with a total of 21 turns, the circuit will challenge the drivers.

For Italian fans, every race in the Championship will be free­to­air on Media­ set’s Italia 1 and Italia 2 channels, as the new Italian broadcaster of Formula E. Greeting the drivers in the square alongside Agag, Rome’s Mayor Virginia Raggi said the E­Prix will have a “positive economic impact”, bringing “investments and benefits to the city with its legacy programme, such as new streets and electric charging stations”. — WR.

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