Argentina are getting ready to welcome home hero Franco Colapinto to the streets of Buenos Aires in what promises to be a special show run by the Alpine man.
The 22-year-old will get behind the wheel of the 2012 E20 F1 Car – which ran during the Enstone-based team’s guise as Lotus but will sport a full Alpine livery for the event – in the Palermo neighbourhood on April 26. These events reflect the global nature of Formula 1 as teams bring the spectacle of iconic machinery to streets, squares, and landmarks across the world.
It’s a powerful tool for bringing motorsport to each corner of the globe, especially when the drivers go all out to wow the crowd. From racing upside planes and slippery ski slopes, to donuts hundreds of metres in the air – we’ve seen it all over the years. Here are 10 of the best F1 show runs from across the world…
David Coulthard’s helipad heroics
Winning both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship is worthy of celebration – so when Red Bull won both four times in a row, it called for something out of the ordinary. The Milton Keynes-based outfit sent David Coulthard to try his most daring show run stunt in 2013 – donuts on a helipad 210 metres above the ground!
They helicoptered the show car to the top of the Burj Al-Arab in the United Arab Emirates, a building that has seen Tiger Woods play golf as well as both Andre Agassi and Roger Federer playing tennis on it. The burnouts went well, leaving us to enjoy some smokey shots that barely look real.
Max Verstappen’s snowy ski run
In 2016, Red Bull took show runs to another level when Max Verstappen drove his car down the Strief, the legendary downhill ski course at Kitzbuhel, Austria – also known as the most feared ski race on earth.
To deal with the terrifying gradient, 1,600m altitude and freezing temperatures, the 2011 machine was modified with snow chains, studded tyres and a raised ride height – resulting in one of the most epic pieces of F1 content produced!
Lewis Hamilton’s NYC show
The list of American show runs is long enough to fill its own article! Perhaps most memorably though, Mercedes brought Lewis Hamilton to the streets of New York City in 2024 for a historic, first-ever F1 demo run down the legendary Fifth Avenue.
Not only did Hamilton speed down this iconic landmark in the Constructors’ Championship-winning W12, but there were also special lights glowing on the Empire State Building to mark the occasion.
Daniel Ricciardo’s salt desert donuts
Argentina will be treated to Colapinto’s stunning show at the weekend, but do you remember Daniel Ricciardo’s escapades in the RB7 across the Salinas Grandes salt desert in 2012? Located in Northern Argentina, the flats are 60,000 hectares and provided a great challenge to the Red Bull team as they managed extreme altitude, low grip and high temperatures.
However, the stunning scenery produced some magical shots – the arid landscape is easily one of the most unique show run locations we’ve ever seen.
Bad Bunny and Mercedes take over San Juan
Mercedes also headed to Puerto Rico in 2025 for a momentous show run to celebrate their collaboration with Adidas and Puerto Rican hero Bad Bunny. Esteban Gutierrez took to the streets of San Juan to put on a show of doughnuts and burnouts. Despite the rainy conditions, thousands turned out for this historic occasion that marked the first-time an F1 car has been driven in Puerto Rico.
David Coulthard’s castle competition
In 2021, Coulthard took the RB7 on the “From Castle to Castle” run from Czechia to Slovakia. The Scotsman drifted through the cobbled streets in Prague, before crossing the Charles Bridge and heading into the Moravian countryside past many of the regions famous castles.
After speeding through vineyards, Coulthard continued the journey into Poprad, Slovakia, where he raced Air Race World Champion Martin Sonka in an upside-down plane before driving through the Tatras mountains and finishing up at Bratislava Castle – a jam-packed journey that was sure to leave the Eastern European racing fans in awe.
Mark Webber’s Sydney shutdown
Back in 2005, racing legend Mark Webber took to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a Williams FW26 F1 car to build up to that year’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The Queanbeyan native had joined Williams for that season, getting the opportunity to drive Juan Pablo Montoya’s race-winning 2004 in the new livery.
The busy route was closed for five hours for the promotion, as Webber went up and down the empty bridge – a one-of-a-kind publicity stunt for the fans Down Under to enjoy.
Red Bull’s Bosphorus burnout
Ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix in 2020, Pierre Gasly joined Alex Albon in Istanbul to create history on the Bosphorus Strait bridge that separates Europe and Asia. The pair took their F1 cars onto the mile-long suspension bridge that crosses the strait, performing not only donuts, but even performing a pitstop along the bridge too!
In doing so, they became the first drivers in history to perform these elements in one city across two continents at the same time – and boy did it look cool!
Ferrari’s marvellous Milan show
In 2025, Ferrari team mates Hamilton and Charles Leclerc hit the streets of Milan to celebrate the duo’s brand new partnership, and give 20,000 eagerly awaiting Tifosi a first look of Hamilton in the iconic rosso corsa ahead of his debut in red at the Australian Grand Prix. Behind the wheels of the SF90 and SF21, the pair didn’t hold back – with full-on acceleration, some rapid pit stops and even burnouts in front of the crowd.
Alongside this display was a presentation of two of Ferrari’s most celebrated cars to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Michael Schumacher’s first world title with Ferrari – the F2004, with which Schumacher took his fifth world title with the team, and the 2006 248 F1, the last car the German driver raced for the team.
Lindblad’s Delhi drive
Ahead of the 2026 season, Red Bull put on an epic event in Delhi, India. Centre of the action was rookie Arvid Lindblad, taking to the streets in a Racing Bulls car just a week before his F1 debut.
It was a special appearance for Lindblad, being just the third-ever F1 driver of Indian heritage – and his Racing Bulls-liveried car marked the occasion of Holi by releasing coloured powder into the air, continuing a beloved tradition from previous Red Bull show runs in the country.
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