Ladies and gentlemen, F1 has made it to the White House! Red Bull, known for its extreme sporting events and competitions more than the energy drink itself, has taken their motorsport prowess to the next level. Led by Team Principal Christian Horner, the F1 wing of the Austrian manufacturers revived Sebastian Vettel’s championship-winning RB7 to enthrall American fans in the US capital.

Red Bull lit up Washington, D.C.’s iconic Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday as Max Verstappen secured the team’s 100th Pole position in F1 in China. David Coulthard, a former RB driver, took a seat in the legendary RB7 – the car that Vettel drove to win his second World Championship in 2011. Over 50,000 fans gathered to witness Red Bull’s first show run of 2024.

Coulthard, with Red Bull, became the face of F1’s American expansion plan. The 53-year-old termed it a “great privilege” to drive down this iconic street that leads to the American President’s workplace. “For many years, Formula 1, under its previous management, tried to find a foothold in America to have a true world championship,” Coulthard told NBC.

“America is such an important and powerful country,” he added. “The American owners, Liberty [Media], have understood very well the American market and they’ve opened it up and made the paddock more accessible. I think, previously, the sport was quite sort of elitist and had the barriers up. And it was very difficult for people to connect. But that has really changed, and the audience has just gone [up],” he further said.

These Red Bull show runs are an extension of their F1 dominance. Moreover, Vettel’s RB7 has been a staple of the team’s promotional efforts across the globe. David Coulthard has driven the iconic car in Mumbai, Denmark, Chile, and many other cities in 2023. However, if Vettel’s car is still relevant in F1 13 years later, shouldn’t he be too?

Red Bull addresses Sebastian Vettel’s comeback to F1

Sebastian Vettel’s abrupt retirement in 2022 took the F1 world by storm. Come 2024, the four-time champion has now been rumored for a spectacular comeback. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff even said he ‘couldn’t discount’ the German driver from contention for the 2025 seat. But wouldn’t his comeback be worthwhile if he returned to Red Bull, the team he won four championships with?

Addressing the same, team advisor Helmut Marko flatly denied any such reunion plans. But, what he did reveal was the one condition why Vettel would want to return to F1. “I think he wants it if he sees the chance to get a top car somewhere,” Marko said, while adding, “Then he’s ready for it.”

Though the former champion hasn’t shut the doors on his F1 return, he will remain the Red Bull driver that boosted them to taste their first dominant period. The Milton Keynes outfit, since then, has indeed made their mark in F1. And they just keep relentlessly marching on.