Mark Webber has demonstrated Red Bull Racing’s show car in front of a record crowd of 150,000 spectators in Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok, as part of the king’s 84th birthday celebrations.
Webber had met King Bhumibol Adulyadej the day previously, and took the opportunity to showcase F1 technology at full speed down Rajdamnoen Avenue in the city centre.
His slow-down tours saw him waving a Thai flag to the crowd – Thailand is an important market for Red Bull given that the roots of its famous energy drink originated in the country.
Red Bull has performed a series of demonstration runs worldwide in non-motorsport markets such as Poland, the Dominican Republic and Lithuania, as well as more traditional commercial hubs such as Australia, Germany, Britain, Northern Irelandm Italy, Dubai and Colombia.
Thailand and its king have a little-known link to Formula 1, with a member of the Siam royal family – Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, or ‘Prince B Bira’ – contesting 19 World Championship starts in the early 1950s, with his best results being a pair of fourth places.
[Original images via Maserati Enthusiasts’ Page and Red Bull]
Richard Bailey
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