Motoring
Rediscover the thrill of the road with a rally champ and a B-Boy star
Driver Catie Munnings and B-Boy Menno on how time behind the steering wheel can help them relax.
She hurtles around racetracks for a living but FIA European Rally Champion Catie Munnings still turns to driving to relax and free her mind.
“Some people go running to clear their head, me – I go driving!” she said.
The 23-year-old learned to drive very young in fields near her home, where she was taught by her rally-driver father.
Catie straps in for WRC action in Sweden
© Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool
“My whole career started with driving for pleasure,” she said, and it's an instinct which hasn’t faded with time.
“Driving has always been like freedom for me – going out in the evening, seeing the sunset, putting some music on. It doesn’t matter if you're not going anywhere, it's great to just head out.”
This year, lockdowns and restrictions have changed our relationships with our cars.
More time at home and the closure of venues has seen us turn to our cars for entertainment and reminded us of the sheer thrill of driving. Whether as a chance to escape, enjoy time alone or feel a sense of freedom and control as we head off to wherever our mood takes us.
When at home, Catie opts for the British coast as her ideal drive to escape.
“Going along with the music on loud in the car, my place to go is always the seaside. I put the windows down for the fresh air.”
Driving around Gran Canaria was also a particularly inspiring experience for her.
“It’s the views I’m into, the breathtaking views and space you can get when you go high on the roads,” she said.
Going along with the music on loud in the car, my place to go is always the seaside
Her tips for people wanting to find a sense of release in their cars are to head for open spaces and think about what you’re listening too.
“I’d always head into the countryside on a drive to escape my mind. I think seeing space, pulling up in a beautiful lay-by somewhere gives you perspective. There are some hills near my house – I drive up there sometimes to sit and watch the view if I need to get away. I just sit at the top to think.”
“Listening to positive music also really helps when you are driving. If I’m going somewhere nerve-wracking or I’ve got a big competition coming up I always try and keep my music really positive, light and upbeat. I think that makes a big difference. “
Paris was one of the stops on Menno's European tour
© Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull BC One All Star B-Boy Menno van Gorp crossed Europe this year, taking in Poland, Germany, Switzerland and Austria for a string of performances. The mammoth drives in the tour bus were an occasion to have fun, unwind and bond with the other dancers.
“It was a tour bus with two floors and a living room, space to chill. It was really fun.”
“I think you bond way more with the company that you travel with if you travel in that way, so that was really nice. There were also a couple of new members in the team and it was good to get to know them through this experience.”
