Video: Red Bull Formula Drivers Take on Soapbox DerbyVideo: Red Bull Formula Drivers Take on Soapbox Derby

Which driver prevails among the four Red Bull and Visa CashApp RB teammates?

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

June 7, 2024

At a Glance

  • Verstappen and Perez from Red Bull
  • Tsunoda and Ricciardo from Visa CashApp RB

To warm up ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, F1 drivers Max Verstappen and Checo Perez of @redbullracing try Soapbox kart racing against the @VisaCashAppRB duo of Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo. Who will dare to avoid touching the brakes and be crowned the soapbox champion of Canada? 🇨🇦

The competition was chaired by Montreal-based Red Bull Cliff Diving athlete and internet sensation Molly Carlson, alongside professional snowboarder and Canadian household name, Craig McMorris. The course, set at the iconic Parc Olympique in Montreal, had a series of challenges for the drivers.

Cheered on by fans from both teams, the drivers had to make it past the great Canadian crossing, go through a snowstorm, survive a chicane and a series of rollers. The teams battled it out for the best qualifying times before embarking on a one-vs-one race to the finish.

  • Each driver received their own personalized soapbox, complete with their names and race numbers 

  • 80 fans from Visa Cash App RB and Oracle Red Bull Racing were invited to watch the racing live and up close, as well as meet the drivers. 

  • The course was split into a few key challenges: 

  • The great Canadian crossing, complete with cut-outs of hockey players, maple leafs, and raccoons

  • A snowstorm that blocked the drivers' view as they traveled through near-whiteout conditions

  • A prairies-inspired chicane testing their driving skills, with tight turns that forced the drivers to rely heavily on their steering to navigate

  • Finally, a drive through the rocky mountains ramp of rollers to finish off their run

  • For qualifying each driver took one run down the track to put up their fastest time, resulting in pole position for Max, followed by Daniel, Checo, and Yuki.

  • It all culminated in one vs one racing down the track between Checo and Yuki, and Max versus Daniel

About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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