Diary of a CEO

A Day in Paris Before the Next Lap

Not every day needs to revolve around watts, wind tunnels, and UCI approvals.
After what feels like an endless few weeks of travel, testing, and technical meetings, I finally had the rare chance to switch off — or at least try to.

A short escape to Paris with my partner before heading back to London felt almost surreal. For once, I wasn’t thinking about CFD data or carbon layups — just croissants, espresso, and a quiet stroll along the Seine. There’s a rhythm to the city that’s different from anything else — unhurried, but confident — and it reminded me that even in the world of high-performance engineering, there’s value in pausing long enough to take a deep breath.

Of course, “rest” is a relative term. Even while playing tourist, my mind drifted to what comes next: a meeting with the Raptor Factory Racing Team in London, and the next stage of collaboration talks with our partners.

Somewhere between Montmartre and the Marais, I also managed to get my hands on the Dash TT9 for upcoming aerodynamic testing — a beautiful piece of engineering that’s going straight into our validation program. It’s moments like these that blur the line between passion and profession — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Paris provided the pause.
London will bring the pace.

— Raymund Afoakwa
Founder & CEO | Raymund Afoakwa Consulting / Race Lab™
Co-Founder | Supermond