It may not go down as one of the best Red Bull stunts ever, but in what definitely qualifies as an interesting use of a Red Bull F1 car, Toro Rosso driver Max Verstappen gained and dropped vert on the world-famous slopes of Kitzbühel, Austria. The stunt served as an appetizer of on-snow speed ahead of the Hahnenkamm-Rennen ski races. The 800-hp RWD Red Bull RB7 would never be our first choice for navigating pure snow, but it sure looks cool doing it.
As is often the case when it comes to Red Bull-backed stunts, there doesn't appear to be any answer to the question "why?" beyond "why not" and "let's make it viral." The 3,500 or so spectators certainly weren't complaining about watching what Red Bull calls the first-ever F1 show run on an Alpine peak.
Before Verstappen took the wheel, the Red Bull Racing team did some serious wrenching on the 2011 RB7. Prior to being helicoptered into Kitzbuhel, the car was used for a string of hot weather events, including battling 95º F (35º C) heat in Australia, so the main task was preparing it for the cold. The team remapped the engine for improved throttle control and added a set of specially built snow chains to give it a fighting chance in the slick, shifty snow.
Taking an open, ultralight race car up and down a snow-covered slope may not be the most advisable way to get your kicks, but the video and full photo gallery prove it's possible.
Taking an open, ultralight race car up and down a snow-covered slope may not be the most advisable way to get your kicks, but the video and full photo gallery prove it's possible.
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