Spreed, thrills and passion -- Hyderabadis were treated to an unforgettable Sunday morning as Formula One ace, David Coulthard raced through the streets of the city as part of Red Bull’s F1 Show Run.
Thousands of fans showed up to witness the magic on wheels by David Coulthard and the European Stunt Biking champion Aras Gibieza , and shouted their lungs out, proving that India’s not just a cricket-crazy nation.
Driving the car across the Tank Bund stretch and twice around the Hussain Sagar Lake, Coulthard showed what the Infiniti Red Bull Racing car can do, as he reached speeds of 282 km per hour.
“It’s good to be back in India. The F1 fans of this country have always given me a warm welcome. It’s my second time here and the enthusiasm in this country has only increased since my last visit. It’s always a special feeling to drive a Formula One car for the sheer thrill of the fans and it was incredible to take the car for a spin at such an iconic location. What made this show run even more special was that we are the first team to have driven an F1 car on the streets of Hyderabad. This is something I will remember long after I return home, ” says Coulthard.
The opening act was performed by the 2014 Euro-cup champion Aras Gibieza, who enthralled the audience with his death defying stunts on his customized sport bike Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, leaving the exuberant crowd asking for more. Some of his stunts included a repeated execution of his favourite moves such as the Switchback Wheelie, Watchtower, Stoppie among others.
After a daredevilish inaugural feat of the Lithuanian freestyle stunt biker, following which actor Nagarjuna flagged off the F1 car, David Coulthard, who drove the magnificent RB 7 across the Tank Bund stretch with his favourite stunt, ‘Donuts’ made the audience go crazy.
The event saw a minor glitch when the retired racer accidentally slipped the Indian flag handed over to him during the beginning of the race.
However, Coulthard, took no time to give an apology. “Its just that, giving a flag during the race is not something that I am used to. Different countries have different traditions. In our tradition, spilling wine is considered to be a bad omen,” he explained, further adding, “I apologise in case I hurt anyone’s sentiments.”
Sharing his experiences performing in India, David Coulthard says, “This is my second time in the country and I have throughly enjoyed giving a taste of F1 to the fans. The enthusiasm among the crowd has only increased since the last time I was here. The fans of this country have always given me a warm welcome.”
Also present at the event were the father-son duo, actors Nagarjuna and Chaitanya, IT minister K T Rama Rao, off-road racer CS Santosh and cricketer Varun Aaron among others.
SMALL TALK
Do you still miss racing?
No. Not at all. I have had a good run of 15 years and now considering my age and family, I don’t miss it so much anymore.
Berine Ecclestone has recently proposed an ‘only women’ F1 series. What are your views on that?
That sure would be a wonderful idea. I mean, there are sports such as Tennis that see active women’s participation. In fact, I would enjoy watching a mixed race between men and women.
You have raced for Williams and McLarens. Which team according to is better?
I thoroughly enjoyed playing for both the teams. They have not won many races in the recent times and hence, it would not be fair on my part to choose one particular team. But I think they can do a lot better.