AssetID: 55993658
Headline: Red Bull F1 car takes to the Madrid Metro tracks in world-first stunt
Caption: BY MARK WORGAN Oracle Red Bull Racing’s RB8 Formula 1 car tore around the tracks of the Madrid Metro in a first-of-its-kind stunt. The event marked the return of the Spanish Grand Prix to Madrid after 45 years, with the RB8 running on rails beneath the Spanish capital as part of celebrations surrounding the new MadRing Circuit. Converting an F1 car into a rail-going vehicle presented a unique engineering challenge, according to the team. The project was developed by Oracle Red Bull Racing's Heritage Team alongside Spanish engineering and creative collective Andtonic. Work began at the Canillejas workshops, where bespoke metal wheels weighing 29.8kg — twice the weight of a standard F1 wheel — were designed and manufactured in record time to enable the RB8 to run on the Madrid Metro tracks. Former Formula One driver Patrick Friesacher was behind the wheel as the RB8 travelled through a closed section of the Madrid Metro network, passing the Estadio Metropolitano station and the Sacedal and Chamartín depots. Friesacher, said: "It was an unbelievable experience. I've been lucky enough to experience a lot with our Heritage team, but driving an F1 car on railway tracks was surreal. It's very cool to add Metro driver to the resume." The MadRing will be accessible to fans via a new Metro station within the circuit complex, meaning thousands of racegoers are expected to travel underground to Madrid's first Grand Prix since 1981. The stunt forms part of a partnership between Red Bull and MadRing and was carried out in collaboration with Metro de Madrid. The Spanish Grand Prix takes place on 13 September 2026.
Keywords: feature,photo,video,red bull,formula 1,f1,motoring
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