Tesla cars have been putting fuel-powered supercars and sports cars to shame in straight-line races for many years now. With the introduction of the Model S Plaid, Tesla took it to the next level. Before the Model S Plaid, the Model S Performance was the epitome of speed and agility. We know how it takes on the likes of Ferraris and Porsches, but how will it perform against an F1 car? The folks at Driven decided to test and it actually made for an interesting encounter.

How Does The Model Square Up Against The F1 Car?

The outlet pit the Formula 1 car and the Tesla Model S P100D in quarter-race, a rolling race, 0-100-0 test, and a moose test. Let’s get the specs out of the way first. The Model S P100D comes with a dual-motor setup that puts out 671 horses and 701 pound-feet of twist combined.

The F1 car features a 3.0-liter, naturally aspirated V-10 engine that cranks 770 horses and 384 pound-feet of twist. Power is routed to the wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox. Motor1 pointed out that this is a Benetton B197 car that Gerhard Berger drove during the 1997 season. It is best known for its win at the German Grand Pix at Hockenheim.

Does The Model S Stand A Chance Against The F1 Car?

In the standing quarter-mile race, the Tesla managed to start well off the line and kept the lead for a fair bit. But, once the F1 car’s wheels stopped spinning and it got traction, there was no stopping it. It completed the quarter-mile run in 9.6 seconds, which was 1.2 seconds quicker than the Tesla Model S.

Had it been the Model S Plaid instead, it would’ve been a much closer race as it can clock speeds in low nine seconds. In fact, it took 9.71 seconds in a drag race against the Nissan GT-R not too long ago.

Next up was a rolling race from 40 mph which again saw the Model S accelerate better from the starting line. The F1 car, however, went past it in a jiffy for a comfortable win. As for the race to 100 mph from a standstill to a complete halt, the F1 car beat the Model S comprehensively, with the latter stopping around 30 meters away from the F1 car.

The last round was the moose test that saw both cars tackle the cones at different speeds. A car that is specifically designed to carve corners at high speeds, it goes without saying that the F1 car won this round.

Conclusion

The F1 car won this 4-0 against the Tesla Model S, but we are comparing the latter to a car that is specifically designed to be fast and take corners like it’s no one’s business. The fact that the Model S, a family sedan, has the potential to beat the F1 car itself is a big deal. We wonder how close the drag race would’ve been if it were the Model S Plaid instead.

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