WATCH: ‘I feel your pain’ ‒ Formula E driver Sam Bird commiserates with South Africans after experiencing load shedding

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ToBeConfirmed

Published Feb 24, 2023

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Cape Town - South Africa is in the grips of load shedding and there is certainly no light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

Tomorrow the Cape Town ePrix race will get under way in Cape Town and the electric event is set to go off without any electricity hitches as the organisers and FIA have put plans in place to make sure they have power.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Mitch Evans is hoping history is on Jaguar TCS’ side in inaugural Cape Town ePrix

A common question asked is how an all-electric race will take place when electricity is so hard to come by. But all Formula E races have back-up power plans should they lose energy during the event.

Earlier this week race promoter Iain Banner said they were well equipped to avoid any load shedding interference.

Jaguar TCS’ Sam Bird says he has experienced the dreaded blackouts and said it’s given him a new perspective on certain things.

“Yes I have experienced it and it’s strange especially coming from the UK and we’ve got nothing like that. I think that it gives me a new perspective on using my phone, using my data, using electronic things. I feel your pain on that and I don’t understand why it’s different here in South Africa, when you’ve got so much beautiful sunlight pretty much all year round … why everything isn’t solar, I get that the expense would be high to begin with, but it would pay itself off after one decade, maybe two and then it would last for a long period of time.”

@AliciaPillay56