Questions about Jota and his untimely death, by Kelechi Deca

“Power is Nothing Without Control.” – Pirelli (advertising copy)

The news of the death of Diogo Jota is a sad one. Not only because he got married to his sweetheart days ago, but also that he is leaving three beautiful kids behind, and died with his brother, in a very painful accident.

As a car lover, whenever such accidents happen especially with very expensive cars, I ask questions. I ask questions because they were not driving in a Toyota Camry. Even the Toyota Camry now comes with the Toyota “STAR safety system.

But this is a Lamborghini Avantador as I was made to understand. An excessively over engineered car of that status should at least keep its occupants safe irrespective of the nature of the accident.

That was what a Genesis GV80 SUV, being driven by Tiger Woods did in 2021 when the car veered off the road and rolled over multiple times. That accident sent Hyundai back to the drawing board. They deployed the Japanese Kaizen.

And in 2024, they released the 2025 Genesis G90 which is today regarded as the safest luxury car, boasting a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS.

That is one reason people pay so much for ultra expensive toys. Steeze and safety.

That a Lamborghini that costs about $600k has just the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) which prevents skidding and loss of control, especially in challenging driving conditions as major safety feature is to me inadequate. And that such a feature failed woefully in this case should be unacceptable.

The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (Super Veloce Jota) is a high-performance, limited-edition variant of the Aventador, armed with a powerful V12 engine is a track-focused supercar, with the “SVJ” designation signifying “Super Veloce Jota,” highlighting its speed and track prowess.

A car with a 6.5-liter V12 engine that churns out 770 PS (759 hp) and 720 Nm of torque is a road monster. With the Lamborghini’s ALA (Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva) system for active aerodynamics, it optimizes downforce and reduces drag.

This means it can fly, literally. It moves from 0-100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, a blink of an eye, and a top speed exceeding 350 km/h. The Aventador represents the pinnacle of Lamborghini’s V12 engineering, combining raw power with sophisticated aerodynamics and lightweight design for an exhilarating driving experience.

Such monster power requires monster safety measures because my ancestors said that “E liwe oke Ehi, e liwe oke Madu, oke Ehi gbapụ ọsọ, oke Madu achuwa ya”. Meaning that if you tether a strong bull, you also keep a strong man around so if the Bull escapes, the strong man goes after it.

Intriguingly, the logo of the Lamborghini is the Miura bull, named after a famous breed of fighting bulls. The Miura bull is renowned for its agility, strength, and ferocity, making it the perfect representation of Lamborghini’s performance-oriented vehicles

Interestingly, some cheaper car models have proven to have better safety features compared to some of these overpriced toys.

The best anti-skid system presently is found in the McLaren MP4-12C, even the Audi A8 has very sophisticated stability control systems. Not to talk about different types of Volvos that have survived deadly tyre blowouts and even loss of tyres on speed over the years retaining its brand as the world’s safest car.

Why are the Lamborghini tyres so expensive if a blow out can still lead to a supercar of that type skidding off the road leading to a fire outbreak?

Those rims are quite wide with 20 inches in front and 21 inches at the back which gives the car extra balance, moreso, unlike my jalopy that is 12 inch high, the Avantador is almost on the ground with very low centre of gravity.

These are also low-profile tyres that are equally run-flat with reinforced walls and stiffer sidewalls for grip and handling.

The over engineering in Lamborghini ensures the car’s early warning systems alerts drivers on even the slightest of challenges like under inflation of tyres because they’re not ordinary cars. What happened?

Its center of gravity is extra lowered by the mid-mounted V12 engine and a dry sump lubrication system. The engine’s placement, combined with the dry sump, allows it to sit lower in the chassis, contributing to a lower center of gravity for improved handling. So what happened?

Interestingly, Lamboghinis use mostly Pirelli tyres and some are as high as $10,000 per kit like the Lamboghini Veneno tyres. The Aventador Standard tire kit LP700-4 goes for about $7,067.10 while the Aventador P Zero goes for about $8,635.12. These tyres are extremely expensive because of safety. So where is the place of control for these over-engineered toys?

Was it not Pirelli that came up with the famous slogan that “Power is nothing without control,” in its 1994 advertising campaign featuring American athlete Carl Lewis. The slogan has remained its payoff line till date.

The campaign aimed to convey that raw power is ineffective without the ability to manage and direct it. This message resonated deeply and became a core part of Pirelli’s brand identity, representing the importance of balance and responsible use of power.

Ferruccio Lamborghini Cavaliere di Gran Croce would be turning in his grave at such a sad news. He was a football lover aside lover of sports cars.

And as a football lover and car lover too, all I can ask is….

Why?????

Is this a manifestation of Murphy’s Law that “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong”?

–Deca is a journalist and public affairs analyst