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Whilst the deeply serious drama of Formula 1 at its pinnacle makes for an incredible spectacle. But, as a motorsport diehard myself, I must admit that it’s also quite refreshing to see these same drivers ‘let their hair down’ away from the racetrack.
Red Bull, masters of marketing they are, have served up the sport’s latest example of off-track fun – looping in New Zealand’s latest point-scoring F1 dynamo, Liam Lawson.
The energy drink firm dropped a new video today, pitting its four Formula 1 stars – Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda on the Alpha Tauri side, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez on the Red Bull side – against one another in teams of two in the ‘Super Ultimate Japanese Racing Challenge Show’.
Supplied
Liam Lawson and his Red Bull Formula 1 teammates Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen, and Sergio Perez duel in a game show spoof ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
With the Formula 1 circus descending on Suzuka Circuit for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Red Bull decided to pull the Japanese game show spoof card, complete with rent-a-crowd, overly enthusiastic host, laughing track, and a series of whacky challenges.
Lawson and Tsunoda battle Verstappen and Perez across four challenges; a precision reversing obstacle course, a blindfolded obstacle course, car bowling, and lastly a relay race of sorts.
The other two stars of the show are the pair of Honda Acty trucks that get used by the four F1 drivers in the tasks. The Acty is a diminutive kei car pick-up; a staple of the Japanese delivery economy, particularly in urban areas.
Without spoiling who wins and who loses, one of the key takeaways from the video is the chemistry between Lawson and his teammate, Tsunoda. Having raced each other previously in New Zealand and having previously flatted together, it’s evident that the pair are close mates.
Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Liam Lawson has opened his Japanese Grand Prix account by setting the ninth-quickest time in first practice earlier today.
All the more of a shame that the rumour mill is expecting Daniel Ricciardo to be contracted to Alpha Tauri next year, leaving Lawson either on the sidelines or hunting for a racing seat in another team.
Lawson and his peers evidently didn’t have much time to reflect on their ‘Super Ultimate Japanese Racing Challenge Show’ performances, with first practice at the Japanese Grand Prix already in the books.
Verstappen topped the session after clocking a 1:31.647, leading Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and McLaren’s Lando Norris. Tsunoda, racing in front of his home crowd, was a scintillating fifth, with Lawson and Perez ending FP1 in ninth and 11th.
Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix kicks off at 5.00pm NZST tomorrow afternoon, with the race proper following at 5.45pm NZST on Sunday.
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