The Titan Grand Prix GFD1 drone faced off against a Formula E car at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in New York on Sunday. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was piloted by drone operators Zachry Thayer and Jordan Temkin, with confidence at an all-time high. However, unfortunately, the GFD1 drone crashed onto the tarmac during the very first round, allowing the Formula E team its victory.
The confidence on behalf of the drone team made sense. After all, only last week did drones set a new Guinness World Record for fastest ground speed by a battery-powered remote-controlled quadcopter, reaching speeds of up to 179.6 miles per hour. The Titan Grand Prix team was more assured and confident than ever before that it would beat the Formula E car in this best-out-of-three competition. And for a while there, it seemed like the GFD1 would take home the trophy, as it managed to attain a vast head-start over the Formula E race car. Suddenly, an unintended barrel-roll caused the drone to crash onto the tarmac. And the Titan Grand Prix team was so confident it would win...
The team even issued this playful (if a little too cocky) statement beforehand saying that "We are so happy to be working with FDR on this. The NYC ePrix is the perfect venue for introducing TGP and the GFD1 to the world. We have enormous respect for the Formula E organization. It's almost a shame the GFD1 will crush this race so hard." Whoops. Have a look below at the drone crash. The harsh thump onto concrete occurs about 15 seconds into the video.
While the Federation of Drone Racing or the Titan Grand Prix have yet to issue an explanation for what exactly occurred here, it's clear that there was a temporary loss of control. Why, we don't know yet, but we'll make sure to keep you posted. It's a shame that this wasn't the momentous victory on behalf of the drone community that many of us wanted, but just like everything else—it takes time to be great. Stay tuned for more information on this event, as the statements and explanations trickle in.