– Before the Spanish Grand Prix on the new city circuit in Madrid, Red Bull made a spectacular impression. After all, they converted the RB8, the 2012 world championship car, into a small train and let it run on rails through the city’s metro. The process behind this action is explained in a YouTube video.
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About six months of work went into the sensational project. After all, it had to be figured out how a V8 single-seater could safely run on the rails of a subway.
The team benefited from the fact that the distance between the metro rails perfectly matches the dimensions of the RB8. “This luck makes the project possible in the first place,” said Alvaro Rey, engineer and CEO of Andtonic.
Together with the technology company based in Spain, Red Bull was ultimately able to find a solution for the self-imposed challenge. The RB8 was equipped with four new wheels that perfectly fit the profile of the subway.
The weight per wheel is 29.8 KG, which is more than twice as heavy as the “conventional” wheel of a Formula 1 car. The first wheels they experimented with were far too heavy for the RB8’s suspension and would have doomed the stunt to failure.
The practical test in the Madrid subway was carried out by former Formula 1 driver Patrick Friesacher. The 45-year-old was previously part of the Red Bull junior team and later raced 11 Grand Prix for Minardi.
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Stunts of this kind are anything but unusual at Red Bull. For example, Sergio Perez drove the RB7, the 2011 world championship car, through the streets of New York years ago.
The team has also tested its cars on snow and ice. The latest action stems from a partnership between Red Bull and the Madring, built for Formula 1.
Max Verstappen is unlikely to encounter any antics on the new circuit. However, Liam Lawson will start for the team for the third time in a row. Isack Hadjar is still struggling with a wrist injury and cannot compete in Madrid.
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Accordingly, Yuki Tsunoda will once again make a guest appearance for Racing Bulls. At the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, the former Red Bull driver even scored a world championship point.
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