Red Bull organized a motorsport event to celebrate the reopening of its Hangar-7, where motorsport athletes, including four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen, competed against each other in a unique drag race.
Red Bull’s Hangar-7 is located at the Salzburg Airport in Austria and is home to the team’s F1 cars and the Flying Bulls aircraft fleet. With attractions such as a restaurant and bar, a cafe, and space for art exhibitions, the space is perfect for art and motorsport enthusiasts. The event paid homage to Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who envisioned a space that united multiple worlds.
MotoGP legend Dani Pedrosa, Dakar Rally icon Daniel Sanders, and NASCAR star Connor Zilisch were present at the event. The show was a treat for any petrolhead, considering the smoking donuts, airplanes, and a drag race. Verstappen, who uploaded a video of the celebration, said:
Mark Thompson/Getty Images
“I’ve been quite often already to Hangar-7, so for me it’s almost like a homecoming every time.
“So many cool activities, these helicopters, planes, cars, you know, all kinds of motorsport come together here and then to do a drag race all together with all these different kinds of cars I think it is very cool to do.”
Verstappen could be seen racing in the Red Bull RB8, the car that won the 2012 F1 Constructors’ Championship.
The celebration comes in stark contrast to the race weekend in Barcelona for the Dutchman, who was hit with a ten-second penalty for crashing into George Russell, leading him to finish tenth.
Three penalty points were also added to Verstappen’s Super Licence, bringing his tally to 11 points. Thus, he remains just one point away from a race ban. The collision with Russell proved costly, especially for Verstappen’s championship prospects, as he sits in third place in the standings. The gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri is currently 49 points.
Verstappen admitted on Instagram after the Spanish Grand Prix that the safety car restart and the use of hard tires for the final stint fueled his frustration. He said:
“We had an exciting strategy and good race in Barcelona, till the safety car came out.
“Our tyre choice to the end and some moves after the safety car restart fuelled my frustration, leading to a move that was not right and shouldn’t have happened.
“I always give everything out there for the team and emotions can run high. You win some together, you lose some together. See you in Montreal.”