Not since Michael Schumacher’s demo run in 2013 has a Formula 1 car been driven in anger around the Green Hell. That all changed with Red Bull’s Formula Nurburgring celebration, with not just one but two championship-winning cars taking to the 12.9-mile circuit.
Four-time world champ Sebastian Vettel was reunited with his RB7, once christened “Kinky Kylie,” while former Red Bull Racing driver David Coulthard was behind the wheel of Vettel’s old RB8.
Germany has been starved of on-track action from the F1 circus since 2020’s one-off return to the Nurburgring’s 5.1-kilometer GP-Strecke layout, held as a replacement event amidst the pandemic.
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However, the absence of F1 seemed to have spurred on the crowds, with over 60,000 in attendance for the demo run. We say demo run because, sadly, neither car set a lap time, although just seeing a modern Formula 1 car take to the hallowed circuit is probably a reward in itself.
It wasn’t just Red Bull’s cars that had their time in the spotlight, as there were multiple classes of cars running throughout the day and a whole host of big names to keep the fans entertained.
Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda was behind the wheel of a Honda NSX GT3 Evo for his first visit to the track. Ralf Schumacher took to the ‘Ring to demonstrate his BMW-powered Williams FW25-07, and Jos Verstappen (Max’s dad) was behind the wheel of Ford’s electric-powered 1,400 hp Supervan 4.2. One of the real showstoppers, though was witnessing Mathias Lauda drive his late father, Niki’s, Ferrari 312 B3-74.
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Both F1 cars, as well as several other racing machines that took part, ran on e-fuels for the event. During the twilight years of his Formula 1 career, Vettel pushed for a more sustainable way of racing, even nudging F1 to ditch military flypasts during the build-up to the race and ensuring that passenger jets that take part in such displays are run on sustainable fuels.
“Motorsport is my great passion and I want to keep the sport alive. Fuels can be produced synthetically and serve as a substitute fuel, ” said Vettel. “It is important that we all become aware that we must do something. And the great thing is – you don’t feel any difference in the car, it’s just as much fun driving it on synthetic fuel.”
