As the Red Bull Racing (RBR) Formula 1 team engineers fired up a 2006 Season spec, 3000 cc V10 engine, it growled at a brutal 100 odd decibels, the exhaust spewed flames and the moment got etched in memory forever.This wasn't Buckinghamshire, UK (headquarters of RBR F1 team) or any F1 circuit. This scene got enacted right in front of our eyes at our very own Mumbai. The Red Bull 'Speed Link' that took place today at the Rajiv Gandhi Bandra Worli Sea Link gave us - the famished Indian F1 fans a much cherished glimpse into the world of F1.
David Coulthard more popularly known as DC - a veteran of 14 years, 247 F1 races and now a consultant with RBR drove the RBR F1 car acros the Bandra Worli Sea Link and enthralled the F1 aficionado to the hilt. This event garnered quite a lot of celeb power and media presence. And to top it up, the Indian Navy's Chetak helicopters were on hand to provide some breath taking aerial shots. 'Speed Link' essentially comprised 3 major attractions viz,
* The final RBR F1 car assembly
* DC storming the Bandra Worli Sea Link back & forth + a couple of donuts
* A press conference where DC answered questions from the media & the fans
The F1 car assembly is one of the most intricate and disciplined acts in F1. I can vouch for it having witnessed the same from close quarters today. The RBR F1 engineers worked with surgeon's precision and got the final car assembled in just under 30 mins. And I must admit that I was in absolute awe as every inch looked a spectacular piece of equipment.
The RBR F1 car brought for the 'Speed Link' consisted of various 'mix & match' components from it's erstwhile variants namely the RB2, the RB3 and the RB4 that have been used through 2006 to 2008. While, a distinctly large tail (shark) fin was the most noticeable addition, there was an absence of winglets and barge boards. The front and the rear wings were also from the 2006-07 specs. The Tyres brought for the run were pure slicks. However, the presence of heavy camber, 2 radiator fans on the left and only 1 on the right were the most intriguing aspects of the car. Owing to high temperatures & humidity, the engineers were forced to stack kilos of dry ice along the engine to keep it cool.
Once DC was ready in his racing overalls and had got himself comfortable in the cockpit, the engineers fired up his car. The sights and sound that accompany a fully assembled F1 car with the driver all set to blast is unbelievable. And today was no different.
Although this was a demo run, quite surprisingly, DC chose to drive sans the Head & Neck Safety (HANS) device. He left the paddock and stormed thru from the Bandra Reclamation towards Worli across the Sea Link. It was pretty evident on the display screens that he was flying at a speed much higher than the prescribed 100 kmph. He later confessed that he had touched 260 kmph. I am sure the Mumbai traffic police would have got adequately miffed at this.
He enthralled the spectators when he maneuvered his car into giant donuts on his return run. With the F1 rules banning all stunts including gonuts, this was a sight which happened to be the pinnacle of the event.
The press conference was a frenzied affair with DC answering a barrage of questions from the media and the fans. Ranging from his second driver status at McLaren, to his infamous duels with Schumi, to the modern crop of drivers, to his Indian sojourn...DC was at his honest and humorous best.
When asked to describe the 'racing incident' at Spa '98, he quite candidly explained, "Michael was supposed to pass me from the outside...but he rammed into me from behind and then accused me of braking..." Who can ever forget the1998 Belgian GP - the wettest race ever where 13 out of the 22 drivers crashed at 'La Source' on lap 1 and only 8 drivers finished the race. What ensued is a part of F1 folklore... Schumacher barging into McLaren garage accusing Coulthard of trying to kill him and an infamous fist fight.
Commenting on his switch from McLaren to RBR, he was upfront in accepting that his stint at RBR was definitely more enjoyable and he was proud of it. He was quick to point out that Sebastian Vettel; the RBR driver definitely has a fair chance of winning this year's Driver's World Championship. All he needs is victories in the next 2 races.
Relieved that the FIA's implausible budget cap that is in effect this year and won't be applicable next season onwards, he confessed that F1 is a very expensive sport and does require huge coffers to run. But he reiterated that putting a ceiling on expense is no way out. The FIA should rather increase the teams' share of the television rights.
He was gracious enough to accept that F1 cannot ignore India - the land of over 1 billion. He said that Force India was the first step towards F1's entry into India. He quite unabashedly took a dig at the Hon. Sports Minister of India, M. S. Gill, who had earlier gone on record to say that F1 is not a normal sport and that the Indian Grand Prix would have no impact on the development of sports in India. DC went to the extent of pointing out that, "It is unfortunate what he said. The Indian sports minister doesn't understand Formula 1. The sport is great showcase around the world for engineering excellence and I would suggest to your minister that if India wants to showcase the big potential that it has for engineering and design, Formula 1 is the vest place to do that."
Amidst all this, I couldn't forget the fact that DC is after all a huge super star of F1...almost a Stirling Moss redux...yet he was genuinely affable and warm. A hallmark of a true champion driver and a great human being!
And lest we forget, kudos to the Red Bull India team for having conjured an event of this magnitude. It was truly awesome and a spectacle of unprecedented proportion. It was definitely a privilege to watch an F1 car in it's full glory at our door steps. Hope we get more events like this and some day if our ministers and administers could find sense in the sport, an Indian GP as well.
* The final RBR F1 car assembly
* DC storming the Bandra Worli Sea Link back & forth + a couple of donuts
* A press conference where DC answered questions from the media & the fans
The F1 car assembly is one of the most intricate and disciplined acts in F1. I can vouch for it having witnessed the same from close quarters today. The RBR F1 engineers worked with surgeon's precision and got the final car assembled in just under 30 mins. And I must admit that I was in absolute awe as every inch looked a spectacular piece of equipment.
The RBR F1 car brought for the 'Speed Link' consisted of various 'mix & match' components from it's erstwhile variants namely the RB2, the RB3 and the RB4 that have been used through 2006 to 2008. While, a distinctly large tail (shark) fin was the most noticeable addition, there was an absence of winglets and barge boards. The front and the rear wings were also from the 2006-07 specs. The Tyres brought for the run were pure slicks. However, the presence of heavy camber, 2 radiator fans on the left and only 1 on the right were the most intriguing aspects of the car. Owing to high temperatures & humidity, the engineers were forced to stack kilos of dry ice along the engine to keep it cool.Once DC was ready in his racing overalls and had got himself comfortable in the cockpit, the engineers fired up his car. The sights and sound that accompany a fully assembled F1 car with the driver all set to blast is unbelievable. And today was no different.
Although this was a demo run, quite surprisingly, DC chose to drive sans the Head & Neck Safety (HANS) device. He left the paddock and stormed thru from the Bandra Reclamation towards Worli across the Sea Link. It was pretty evident on the display screens that he was flying at a speed much higher than the prescribed 100 kmph. He later confessed that he had touched 260 kmph. I am sure the Mumbai traffic police would have got adequately miffed at this.
He enthralled the spectators when he maneuvered his car into giant donuts on his return run. With the F1 rules banning all stunts including gonuts, this was a sight which happened to be the pinnacle of the event.
The press conference was a frenzied affair with DC answering a barrage of questions from the media and the fans. Ranging from his second driver status at McLaren, to his infamous duels with Schumi, to the modern crop of drivers, to his Indian sojourn...DC was at his honest and humorous best.
When asked to describe the 'racing incident' at Spa '98, he quite candidly explained, "Michael was supposed to pass me from the outside...but he rammed into me from behind and then accused me of braking..." Who can ever forget the1998 Belgian GP - the wettest race ever where 13 out of the 22 drivers crashed at 'La Source' on lap 1 and only 8 drivers finished the race. What ensued is a part of F1 folklore... Schumacher barging into McLaren garage accusing Coulthard of trying to kill him and an infamous fist fight.Commenting on his switch from McLaren to RBR, he was upfront in accepting that his stint at RBR was definitely more enjoyable and he was proud of it. He was quick to point out that Sebastian Vettel; the RBR driver definitely has a fair chance of winning this year's Driver's World Championship. All he needs is victories in the next 2 races.
Relieved that the FIA's implausible budget cap that is in effect this year and won't be applicable next season onwards, he confessed that F1 is a very expensive sport and does require huge coffers to run. But he reiterated that putting a ceiling on expense is no way out. The FIA should rather increase the teams' share of the television rights.
He was gracious enough to accept that F1 cannot ignore India - the land of over 1 billion. He said that Force India was the first step towards F1's entry into India. He quite unabashedly took a dig at the Hon. Sports Minister of India, M. S. Gill, who had earlier gone on record to say that F1 is not a normal sport and that the Indian Grand Prix would have no impact on the development of sports in India. DC went to the extent of pointing out that, "It is unfortunate what he said. The Indian sports minister doesn't understand Formula 1. The sport is great showcase around the world for engineering excellence and I would suggest to your minister that if India wants to showcase the big potential that it has for engineering and design, Formula 1 is the vest place to do that."Amidst all this, I couldn't forget the fact that DC is after all a huge super star of F1...almost a Stirling Moss redux...yet he was genuinely affable and warm. A hallmark of a true champion driver and a great human being!
And lest we forget, kudos to the Red Bull India team for having conjured an event of this magnitude. It was truly awesome and a spectacle of unprecedented proportion. It was definitely a privilege to watch an F1 car in it's full glory at our door steps. Hope we get more events like this and some day if our ministers and administers could find sense in the sport, an Indian GP as well.
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