WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Fans of all ages got the chance to watch a Formula 1 car roar down Pennsylvania Avenue, Saturday evening as part of the Red Bull Racing Showrun in the District. Some fans say they followed the sport as young kids, while others say they caught onto it after the popularity of the Netflix Series, "F1: Drive to Survive."
13-time Grand Prix champion David Coulthard says, the beauty of Formula 1 racing is that it really is for everyone, no matter how old.
"You can be a young kid or you can be a great grandparent. It’s not isolated to one group of people," he said.
Coulthard drove the Red Bull Racing RB7, while street freestyle motorcyclist Aaron Colton and rally car champion and former F1 driver Scott Speed sped down a five block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Coulthard gave Red Bull Racing its first-ever podium finish as part of a storied racing career that spanned three decades including 15 seasons in F1 between 1994 and 2008, taking 13 Grand Prix victories and 62 podium finishes.
Several young fans told WUSA9 that the cars sounded louder than they do on TV broadcasts.
Red Bull Racing representatives say they hope showruns like these will help grow motorsports in the United States, especially Formula 1 racing.
Mother Nature also helped bring out thousands of fans. Coulthard noted that he couldn't have asked for a better day for this showrun.
"It’s the weekend, the weather is nice, we’re in a beautiful location here in Washington," he said.