Learn French: Quel pilote conduit le plus vite sur le circuit ? - Which driver drives the fastest on the circuit?

Quel pilote conduit le plus vite sur le circuit ?

Which driver drives the fastest on the circuit?

Breakdown of Quel pilote conduit le plus vite sur le circuit ?

sur

quel

which / what (adjective)

vite

fast, quickly

plus

Questions & Answers about Quel pilote conduit le plus vite sur le circuit ?

Why is it le plus vite and not le plus rapide?

Vite is an adverb meaning 'fast' or 'quickly', and it describes the verb conduit (how the driver drives). Rapide is an adjective, which describes nouns (like la voiture la plus rapide). Because vite is an adverb, its superlative always uses the invariable article le, even if we were talking about a female driver.

Could I say Lequel pilote instead of Quel pilote?

No, you must use Quel because it is an interrogative adjective that goes directly next to the noun it modifies (pilote). Lequel is a pronoun meaning 'which one' and it replaces the noun entirely. If you used it, you would drop the noun and just say Lequel conduit le plus vite ?

Do I pronounce the 's' in plus in this sentence?

No, the 's' in plus is silent here. In superlatives, when plus is followed by a word starting with a consonant, like the 'v' in vite, you do not pronounce the 's'.

Why do we use the preposition sur for 'on the circuit'?

In French, a racetrack or circuit is treated as an open physical surface. Just as you drive 'on the road' (sur la route), you drive 'on the circuit' (sur le circuit).