Formula 1 question on KBC 15 reveals Amitabh Bachchan’s love for race car noises

Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan has revealed his love for loud race car and bike noises, especially the ones from ‘bigger exhausts’ in the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 15. On the ‘Family Special Week’ episode of the show, Big B’s sixth question to the Parampills was: Who became the Formula 1 world champion for the third year in a row in 2023?
The four options that were shown on screen were: A) Lewis Hamilton, B) Sergio Perez, C) Carlos Sainz and D) Max Verstappen.Ashish Parampill chose option D and won the round. His sister Anne and wife Tejal shared, ‘WhenF1 is on, Ashish and our sons are die-hard fans of the race and they would be stuck on the screens.” Ashish added, “My elder son Shaurya is Max Verstappen’s fan and that is how I got this answer.”

Anne then narrated a tale saying that Ashish is a Michael Schumacher fan and so are his sons. Hence, she and Tejal go out to stay away from the noise on Sundays. This is when Amitabh Bachchan reacted by saying that the loud noise of a race car or a bike is most loved by men, while women usually find it irritating. “When the exhaust is bigger and the noise comes when we accelerate, I love it as it energizes me and makes me feel a sense of pride,” added the 81-year old actor.
That said, Formula 1 cars have gotten quieter in recent years, with the 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 hybrid engines currently used being drastically ‘less noisier’ than the V10s and V12s used in the past. 2026 onwards, these 1.6-litre V6 engines will see a drop in ICE power output from current 850 to approximately 530 hp, whilst the MGU-K’s electrical energy capacity will be increased. This would result in the racing cars making lesser noise than ever before.