David Coulthard’s Red Bull Races a Taxi in South Africa

The Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team brought Formula One fever to the streets of South Africa last month.

In the streets of Cape Town, taxis rule the roads and Red Bull wanted to challenge them on their turf. So, David Coulthard donned his helmet and gloves in a tongue-in-cheek race around the city.

When the green lights blinked on, the Scot was already at a disadvantage as the minibus knew every nook and cranny of the inner-city labyrinth.

As the clip starts off, Coulthard’s smooth skills was pitted against the street smarts of the local taxi driver. However, the Scotsman’s class was just too much for taxi driver’s crude tactics.

The clip is riddled with subtle nods to local culture, with David Coulthard even getting an opportunity to grab a copy of a magazine. Lyrical master and homegrown rapper YoungstaCPT also sings about the Mother City while in a glitzy Aston Martin. His song “In the Cape of Good Hope” is the soundtrack for the clip.

The city of Cape Town loves to put on a show for incoming visitors and the taxi crew represents the spirit of Ubuntu. Local comedian Jason Goliath played the role of the taxi driver.

Speaking about his experience in South Africa, former Red Bull driver David Coulthard said, “I had a great opportunity to explore a little bit of downtown – just didn’t know I’d be racing though!”

The real winners, however, were the 46 000 fans who lined Darling Street for the once in a lifetime chance of seeing a championship-winning Formula One car scream through an iconic setting. South Africa showed its love for a sport that hasn’t touched these shores in decades and opened welcomed the international visitors with open arms.

To further add to the spectacle, pitstops for the taxi and Coulthard’s Red Bull were also added.