Life In The Fast Lane

Singaporean racing driver Claire Jedrek sheds light on seeing straight when the world’s a blur.

- Ishan Singh

When the world ground to a halt, you could get by on the bare minimum. The days stopped being dictated by a need to do more. Whiling away a weekend on Netflix was not only accepted but also encouraged. A testament to your willpower, in fact—by resisting the temptations of the outdoors, you were carrying out a public service.

Those days are going away now, and a return to normal—although it’s a cause for celebration— comes accompanied by a sobering truth. Life before the pandemic wasn’t free of complaints. Commutes are making a comeback, dressing down is fading out of fashion, and things feel as they did at the end of 2019: confusing.

As we step out into this faster world—with busy roads and people who walk with a purpose—getting up to speed can be a real challenge. Racing driver Claire Jedrek likens life to the asphalt. “If there’s a big turn coming up and you go full speed ahead, you’ll never make it,” she says. “You’ll get understeer and crash into something.”