The world of Formula One racing is very serious, so Red Bull’s two teams have been trying to lower their drivers’ blood pressure by handing them the wheel to some weird machines for some unserious competition. Their latest challenge saw them driving Honda kei trucks in a variety of challenges.
Each team, Red Bull F1 and Scuderia Alpha Tauri, got a truck covered in a vague approximation of its racing livery. Competing in a series of four challenges, the drivers – Liam Lawson, Sergio Perez, Yuki Tsunoda, and current driver’s championship leader, Max Verstappen – were allowed to trade the wheel back and forth.
Taking in place in Japan ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix, hometown favorite Yuki Tsunoda came into this challenge with an advantage. Not only has he won both of the previous racing challenges that he has been a part of this year, he’s also familiar with the kei truck.
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Photos Red Bull
“I drove kei-trucks a couple of times when I was 18,” Tsunoda said. “My grandfather had one for gardening. The truck was the perfect size, perfectly fitting and it was fun to drive, very controllable and sharp.”
Indeed, in the video’s first challenge, a slalom to be completed in reverse topped off by a parallel parking exercise, Tsunoda gave Alpha Tauri an early lead thanks to his confident performance.
However, Perez proved to be better at giving the blindfolded Verstappen directions in the second challenge than Tsunoda was at giving Lawson directions, giving Red Bull F1 a win and tying the score.
Although Alpha Tauri then won the bowling challenge, the final victory was to be Red Bull’s after they won the final challenge, which involved precision driving, delivering boxes, and more, with Verstappen at the wheel. Surprisingly, despite leading the F1 driver’s championship, this has been his first win as part of this series.
“First and foremost it’s important to mention that we finally won the challenge,” said Verstappen. “The kei trucks have been fun to drive, I haven’t quite found the DRS yet, though. It’s been good preparation for the race this weekend.”
And the team will want to prepare, because there’s a lot at stake this weekend. If Red Bull F1 can outscore Mercedes, it can clinch the constructors’ championship at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.