Sunday 17 / November / 2024
Muscat: More than 10,000 motorsport fans turned out in full force on Friday to see the Red Bull Formula1 Showrun, despite heavy rainfall that started shortly before the event was due to start.
The RB7 took to the iconic streets of Muscat for the first time along the beautiful Muttrah Corniche. David Coulthard piloted the F1 car past crowds on the 1.1km strip weaving past Riyam Park.
Of his experience in Oman for the first time, David Coulthard said: “I think it’s been a fantastic trip to Oman, we’ve had the opportunity to discover the kind hospitality of the Omanis and the passion they have for motorsports.”
He added: “The amount of people who stood in the rain shows that there is a much bigger passion for cars in general, so I hope this event will help develop that culture of racing going forward.”
Taking about Oman, Coulthard said: “From a personal point of view I will definitely be coming back to Oman because I think that the coastline and mountains and the people have been fantastic.”
Harthy on Vulcan hypercar
Also part of the event action was Oman’s premier motor racing driver, Ahmad Al Harthy, on board the Aston Martin’s Vulcan hypercar.
Unfortunately all other planned side acts had to be cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions including the Soul Flyers canopy jump act. The three time World Champion Base Jump World Record holders were in Oman to perform synchronised loops from a helicopter. An Xtreme Riding Xibition, that demonstrates the skill and control of modern trials, by Brian Capper was also cancelled along with a go-karting parade by the Oman Automobile Association. The overall length of the event track also had to be shortened as a safety precaution.
More in the pipeline
Suleiman Al Rawahi, Oman Automobile Association Managing Director, said: “The last three years have seen Oman Automobile Association and Red Bull Oman work together to bring motorsports to a different level and this event is a result of that and will only bring more events in the future. The heavy rain was not a disappointment as it was great to see how many people attended showing the growing interest in motorsports in Oman.”
The action started the day before during ‘Fire Ups’ hosted at Oman Automobile Association and Omantel Headquaters. During the events, members of the public were able to get up close to the car and hear the roar of the engine.
Hamdan Moosa Al Harasi, Acting Vice President Corporate Strategy at Omantel, explained, “Everyone at Omantel was fired up to see the awesome Formula 1 car for the very first time in the Sultanate. Omanis of all ages love motorsports, so this was a special opportunity for employees and public to get up close and experience the stunning roar of this car. We work closely with sporting groups and organisations to make a meaningful difference to the future development of the nation, so we were very pleased to bring this exciting event to Oman. As part of our innovative 3.0 transformation strategy, we want to demonstrate our commitment towards promoting Oman on the world stage, and promoting sports of all disciplines to Omani youth.”
The highly anticipated Red Bull F1 Showrun was held under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin Assad Al Said and under the umbrella of the Oman Automobile Association and Royal Oman Police; with the support of the Ministry of Tourism. The event was in partnership with Omantel, Khimji Ramdas, HiFM, Hala FM, Times of Oman, Shabiba, City Vago and Holiday Inn Muscat Al Seeb.
