WATCH: A News journalist’s taste of F1 with David Coulthard

The Krugersdorp News had the incredible opportunity to attend the exhilarating Red Bull Showrun, an action-packed automotive and Formula 1 (F1) spectacle that took over Katherine Street in Sandton on October 6.

This mini F1 experience attracted 25 000 like-minded enthusiasts to the track where there were four events consisting of motorbike stunts, drifting and the South African motorsport of spinning. The highlight of the day was of course the presence of retired F1 legend David Coulthard, who sped across the track in an Oracle Red Bull Racing RB7.

During the press conference, a South African spinning driver known as Sam Sam, said spinning is the fastest-growing motorsport in the country. It started in the 1990s by alleged gangsters and their modified cars with the sole purpose of spinning their tyres until the point where they burst.

Regarding F1 in a South African landscape, David said he hopes F1 will come back to SA as he believes there is an interest and desire for it.

“There are enough motor enthusiasts here. F1 could also grow tourism as this is a global sport and spectators will flock anywhere to get a glimpse really,” David said.

He added that it was a privilege to race in the same 750 horsepower machine where legends such as Sebastian Vettel put the pedal to the metal. He also jokingly said during his racing days, he wished he didn’t race against legends like Michael Schumacher, because they were so good and he has a lot of admiration for them.

“I used to sit in front of the television as a young boy, watching F1, and I still watch it as the same boy, just a bit older,” he jokingly added.

“When the racing event officially started, it opened with David taking a lift in the most South African car ever … the infamous minibus taxi followed the most impressive motorbike stunts I have ever seen, with the driver throwing doughnuts, popping front wheelies and even standing on the bike and driving, giving new meaning to the term, ‘mom, look, no hands’,” journalist Heinrich Greyling said.

The bike event was followed by drifting and spinning, where all the smoke produced by the tyres, made it difficult to see the cars. The impressive spinning had some close calls of hitting the barrier, where the drivers did not stop until their tyres gave their last breath, and burst, leaving the drivers going back to the pits on their rims, with sparks following.

“Wearing white pants was not the best of ideas, where pieces of rubber constantly landed on it, showing the raw power in all the vehicles involved, and especially emphasising through how many sets of tyres the drivers went through during the spinning and drifting,” Heinrich said.

The moment all the spectators were waiting for, the 750 horsepower Oracle, revved up to 18 000 RPM by David, blasting past at speeds, where if you blinked, you missed it.

“Luckily, he threw some doughnuts across the track, giving everyone an up-close glimpse of the peak of automotive engineering.

“The experience of this car driving past, leaves you breathless, just wishing this sport was more accessible in SA. It is defining, with a high-pitched squeal like a tired baby crying, every time it passed. Hearing this car is like a drug, where you can’t get enough of it, and just wanting more,” Heinrich concluded.