Max Verstappen celebrates 'homecoming' as Red Bull transforms 'iconic' venue

Max Verstappen drove Sebastian Vettel's championship-winning Red Bull RB8 from 2012 to mark the re-opening of the "iconic" Red Bull Hangar-7 at Salzburg airport. Taking part in a drag race alongside the 27-year-old was a host of other racing drivers or riders backed by the Austrian energy drink manufacturer, including MotoGP's Dani Pedrosa and NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch. Competing next to the RB8 was the WRC M-Sport Puma, the Dakar Ford Raptor T1+ and the KTM MotoGP Bike. The show also included a demonstration by the Flying Bulls, live music and culinary highlights. It was an event that created the vision of late owner Dietrich Mateschitz's by combining art, cuisine and aviation. Reflecting on the event, Verstappen said it was "very cool to witness" the version showcases. "I've been quite often to Hangar-7 over my life so to me, it is a bit of a homecoming every time," the 65-time grand prix winner said. "There is always a lot going on at Hangar-7, a lot of cool activities - helicopters, planes, cars - motorsport and sport comes together here. "It is always quite enjoyable when we can do something together across sports, and to do a drag race with all these different kinds of cars was very cool to witness." British singer and DJ John Newman performed in an open-air set with additional highlights from top freerunners and freestyle footballers - and the Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe cycling team.