Red Bull Motorsports
F1
F1 Drivers Race Custom-Made Soapboxes
Haystacks, make-shift vehicles, crazy obstacles – you read it right. F1 drivers put their driving skills on display at the Olympic Village in Montreal as they raced custom-made soapboxes.
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Want to watch the F1 soapbox video? Check it out on the official Red Bull YouTube channel to see how everything went down at the Olympic Village in Montreal.
Imagine a race that challenges the most fearless drivers around. A race where you build the best possible car to account for aerodynamics, gravity, and speed, all to make it from start to finish.
A race where reaction time is paramount and, in many ways, simply crossing the finish line can be considered a win.
No, we’re not talking F1. Well, not exactly. In this race, F1 drivers put their skills to the ultimate test as they race from top-to-bottom in personalized soapboxes.
Drivers getting ready to race
© Joseph Roby
Ahead of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez, Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda converged on the Olympic Village in Montreal to see who had what it takes to cross the finish line first.
The soapbox course was designed with a series of challenges for the drivers from Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App RB to overcome. From navigating through a snowstorm, making it past the great Canadian crossing, to surviving a chicane and a series of rollers, the drivers gave it their all to try and secure the top qualifying time.
Max helping Checo with a rolling start
© Bruno Aïello-Destombes
But they weren’t the only world-class athletes at the track, which is no surprise considering F1 races draw the biggest names in pretty much, well, everything.
Canadian snowboarding legend Craig McMorris and Red Bull Cliff Diver Molly Carlson were also hanging around the grid as hosts, getting some reactions from the drivers and keeping the crowd entertained.
Sergio Pérez navigates the rollers at the F1 Soapbox race
© Joseph Roby
F1 Soapbox course in Montreal
© Joseph Roby
Yuki Tsunoda navigating a blizzard at the F1 Soapbox race
© Joseph Roby
Drivers cross the finish line of the soapbox race
© Joseph Roby
A soapbox (even a custom-made soapbox) drives a little differently compared to an F1 car. Before qualifying, Checo and Max were testing out the brakes, looking a little unsure but still trying to figure out how to get the most out of it.
In the other paddock, Daniel Ricciardo was just being his usual self, telling Molly Carlson, “It’s probably the greatest day of my career.”
When asked about the steering, Daniel gave a few insights, saying, “Steering was interesting because it was really heavy but also really, really sensitive. So you kind of needed a bit of force to get the wheel turned... being really smooth was tricky with it, so that was a challenge.”
Drivers race toward the finish line
© Bruno Aïello-Destombes
Each driver put down a solid run for their qualifying time in their custom soapbox, complete with their names, race numbers, and team liveries, but it was Verstappen (shocker) who took pole position. Daniel Ricciardo qualified in second, Sergio Pérez in third, and Yuki Tsunoda in fourth, setting up a Verstappen vs Ricciardo final.
At the end of the race, it seemed height and weight advantage were key deciding factors for soapbox pure performance. Max had flown downhill the quickest, with Daniel in second, and Checo following closely behind.
“I’ve never done a soapbox race before. Zero horsepower was scarier than 700 horsepower!" said Daniel Ricciardo. "We had the weight discussion at the beginning and said that Max would have the advantage over me, and then Checo and then Yuki – we were right!”
Yuki presents Max with his championship trophy
© Bruno Aïello-Destombes
In the end, Max came out on top as the race winner. “You never know what’s going to happen... it’s always so close with the lap times but it felt good,” said Verstappen when asked about his win. “When I heard the time from qualifying I felt confident for the final.”
Want to watch how everything went down? You can head over to the official Red Bull YouTube channel to see just how close the drivers were, who had the best technique, and more.
Soapbox races are not new to Montreal, with the last Red Bull Soapbox in Canada held in 2015 near Victoria Square. Red Bull Soapbox will be coming back this summer to Edmonton on June 22, with 60 teams competing in their homemade soapboxes for a chance to be the hero of the day.
In the meantime, you can download the free Red Bull TV app and dive into all the F1 action you can handle before the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix.
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