As I began my presentation at the Telekom Austria event, I spotted racing driver Niki Lauda in the front row – and addressed him in my opening remarks. I recalled that quite some years ago I had been asked by J. Walter Thompson what I thought of Formula 1 racing in the context of sustainability? My slightly unexpected (they told me) reply was that I supported their proposed ad campaign linking Shell to F1 sport and sustainability – because racing engineers were often at the cutting edge of fuel efficiency technology. But, I noted to my Vienna audience, if we all end up wanting to drive Maseratis we are going to have a bit of a problem.
Later in the evening, totally unexpectedly, I found myself at the wheel of a Tesla – an adventure captured by a Tesla photographer (see above). About as far from a Lauda as could be imagined – and instead of an ever-louder roar, there was just the crunch of the gravel under-wheel.
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