Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster, reaches a top speed of 240 km/h in just 4.9 seconds and requires riders to wear safety glasses to protect their eyes from impact with insects or grains of sand.
As part of the Ferrari World theme park in Abu Dhabi, the Formula Rossa roller coaster was designed to emulate the Formula 1 experience, and even features a cart shaped like an F1 supercar. The track itself was inspired by the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, featuring a series of “sharp turns and sudden drops” capable of generating up to 4.8 G. But what really sets this roller coaster apart from the rest is the speed. As the fastest roller coaster ever built, it reaches a top speed of 240 km/h (149 mph). It also goes from 0-100 km/h in just 2.0 seconds, thanks to a hydraulic launch system similar to that of steam catapults on aircraft carriers.
Photo: Jazon88/Wikimedia Commons
“The roller coaster’s goal is to bring the sensation of what a Formula One driver is experiencing,” Claus Frimand, director of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, said. “The incredible speed you’ll be taken to, you’ll be flying through the landscape. Starting in an air conditioned environment, shot outside the building, running around and coming back inside the building again.”
The Formula Rossa cart is capable of accommodating up to 16 people, all of whom must wear protective goggles, as impact with an insect, or even a few grains of sand at the top speed of 240 km/h could cause serious injuries.
The world’s faster roller coaster was officially opened in October of 2010 and it has retained this title ever since. However, its reign as the fastest rollercoaster may be coming to an end, as Falcon’s Flight, a roller coaster at Six Flags Qiddiya, in Saudi Arabia, is expected to surpass it in terms of speed when it finally opens in 2023.
Formula Rossa may be the world’s fastest roller coaster, but the title of world’s fastest accelerating roller coaster goes to Japan’s Do-Dodonpa.
