Exactly one year ago, an idea was born to do something special, something that would inspire others to achieve seemingly impossible goals - and so it happened. On 30 September 2022, at the airport in Piła, Bartosz Ostałowski set a Guinness World Record for the fastest drift in a foot-driven car. The ambassador of Inter Cars is not slowing down and wants to continue fighting for the highest titles with the best riders in the European and world leagues.
How does it feel to be a Guinness World Record holder?
It is an exclusive feeling and I am very happy to have become a part of history in motorsport and being in the Guinness Book of Records. I feel great satisfaction and I think I can confidently boast about this achievement.
When did the idea to set a record come into your head?
The idea was born about a year ago. At the time, I thought I wanted to do something that would inspire people and motivate them to achieve goals that at first may seem to be impossible or unattainable. After a great adventure on The Grand Tour where I competed against Richard Hammond, and a challenge from Nico Hülkenberg where I drifted between Formula 1 cars, another plan was born to do something even more special. I wanted to show once again what kind of driver I am and that I am at a high, sporting level despite not having both hands.
What was the preparation like?
The key task was to find a suitable location that would not only allow me to accelerate to high speeds, but would also meet technical requirements such as length and width of the runway. The location had to be perfectly suited so that I could get the car into and out of the drift safely. The choice was made to use the airport in Piła. Another challenge was to adapt the car to high speeds. We had to secure it in the right way so that the pressure with which the air comes in does not damage the body parts. This is why we sealed all the gaps in the bonnet, at the bumper and at the fenders. We also had to adjust the suspension and the preload of the shock absorbers, among other things. All these elements helped me to fulfil all the guidelines for the ride that were necessary for the attempt to be recognised by the Guinness commission. Of course, the weather was also a very important factor in order to complete everything in the best possible conditions.
How did Inter Cars, with its other partners, support you in reaching your goal?
Once we knew how many guidelines we had to meet and how many documents we had to deliver to Guinness, we saw how big challenge we faced, not only organisationally but also in terms of budget. The partners believed in the success of this project without hesitation and supported us fantastically, also financially. In addition, the help of Inter Cars in the form of logistics and organisation of the entire event greatly relieved us in our preparations, so that we could focus on the sporting and technical aspects.
How important was the presence of Maciej Oleksowicz at the event?
Maciej Oleksowicz, apart from being the President of Inter Cars, is also a sportsman and an experienced racing driver. When inviting the Partners, we could not imagine the event without his presence. Maciej, thanks to his experience and holding the appropriate FIA licences, could also be our judge during the Guinness World Record attempt. He helped us verify the results from the measuring equipment, including the driftbox, which measured the lean angle, because according to the guidelines I had to maintain a minimum angle of 30° in the whole drift when driving through the measuring zone. He advised me on an ongoing basis on what and where to improve to make this ride perfect. Maciej supported our whole team and checked all the data so that the right information would be sent to Guinness. This all contributed to the final success.
How do you see your career developing further, what are your plans for the future?
Setting the Guinness World Record is an example of my capabilities, but I know I can achieve even more. Given that I am competing on equal rules with able-bodied drivers, and we plan to compete with the best ones in Europe and the world, we are already thinking about the development of the car. Improving it will help me get to an even higher level, so that I can compete in European leagues and achieve top scores.
What formal requirements must be met to become a Guinness World Record holder?
In the case of my attempt, the first requirement was to map out a 50-metre zone in which the average speed of the skid was measured. A land surveyor created a map on which he placed the zone so that the Guinness judges would know exactly where I drove in the drift, how long it lasted and at what lean angle. This was the basis for the Guinness World Record attempt. The second was to measure the lean angle via a driftbox, a tool used to measure this value precisely.
What was important in this task was that when entering the measuring zone, the minimum angle had to be 30° and could not be reduced. The difficulty was to properly start the skid at such a high speed, so that when entering the measuring zone, the car was already in full drift. Another requirement was the precise measurement of average speed. The timing gates measured the time taken to drive through the zone and calculated the average speed on this basis to the nearest thousandth of a second. At the time of setting the record, I entered the drift with 277 km/h on the odometer and ended up with 231.66 km/h in the zone. For the record to be recognised we obviously had to have full video documentation, including drone shots, the whole drift in slow motion and from inside the car. I had to drive with one leg the whole time and could not change it.
What was important in this task was that when entering the measuring zone, the minimum angle had to be 30° and could not be reduced. The difficulty was to properly start the skid at such a high speed, so that when entering the measuring zone, the car was already in full drift. Another requirement was the precise measurement of average speed. The timing gates measured the time taken to drive through the zone and calculated the average speed on this basis to the nearest thousandth of a second. At the time of setting the record, I entered the drift with 277 km/h on the odometer and ended up with 231.66 km/h in the zone. For the record to be recognised we obviously had to have full video documentation, including drone shots, the whole drift in slow motion and from inside the car. I had to drive with one leg the whole time and could not change it.
What proved to be the biggest challenge during the record attempt?
The biggest challenge was to skilfully and precisely drive into the measuring zone at 30° lean angle. I had to start the drift at the right moment and at the right speed so as not to lose speed, maintain the angle and thus set the record. On my first attempts, when I started to initiate the drift at 200-220 km/h, I knew that there was no more joking around, that I had to be focused and at all times prepared for what was happening to the car to prevent it from spinning, sliding off the runway onto the soft grass and risking a flip over. After each attempt, we thoroughly checked the car to make sure all the components were working properly. In the end, when entering the drift, I reached a speed of 277 km/h in 7th gear! That sounds amazing and this record will stay in my memory for a long time.
Thank you for the interview.
