Two former Formula 1 drivers have lined up against a MotoGP legend, a rallycross champion, a snowmobile racer and a Pro 4 Truck driver in the first-ever Red Bull Ultimate Winter Race, held on a frozen lake in Eagle River, Wisconsin.
Patrick Friesacher, who drove for Minardi in the first half of the 2005 season and has since become a regular show-run driver for Red Bull Racing, took the wheel of the iconic RB7 for the five-way contest.
He was joined on the grid by Scott Speed, Red Bull's first American F1 driver who raced for Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2006 and part of 2007 before moving into rallycross and stock car racing.
Completing the line-up were MotoGP legend Dani Pedrosa, snowmobile racer Gunnar Sterne and Pro 4 Truck champion Andrew Carlson, all competing in temperatures of -17°C across 107 acres of ice.
Organisers designed unique sections into the course to balance the wildly different machinery, including shorter inside lines for vehicles less suited to winter conditions and longer outside routes for those built for the ice.
Pedrosa made the most of his MotoGP bike, fitted with custom spiked wheels, using his cornering ability and acceleration to take the chequered flag.
Friesacher's RB7 came home second despite being pushed well outside its natural habitat, with the snowmobile completing the podium on home conditions.
Friesacher revealed the lengths the team went to in order to make the Formula 1 car usable on ice, speaking after the event.
"Given it was -17 degrees Celsius, we made some modifications to the tyres and ride height. I would use longer spikes like Dani next time!
"It was tricky; sometimes you went into the corner too quickly, experienced understeer and had no traction, so you really need to be able to adapt to make those fine adjustments.
"Everything about Ultimate Winter Race, from the unique course to getting to compete alongside these great drivers, made it a special experience."
Check out the full challenge in the video below!
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