Formula One is always a spectacle, especially when the races are here in America. With the U.S. Grand Prix coming up this weekend, Red Bull Racing is pulling out all the stops with a Lone Star State-themed livery, and the car got a theatrical introduction in Austin, flown in by helicopter.
The livery is the work of Franco Cavallone, a graphic designer from Argentina who won a design competition as part of Red Bull’s Make Your Mark campaign. Cavallone’s art, which emerged out of 2,000 entries in the competition, includes Texas flag colors and lines inspired by the Circuit of the Americas track in the state.
Drivers often get in on the livery game, too. This year, Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu will drive with a Texas-inspired helmet, faux leather patterns, and more. McLaren’s Lando Norris will wear a unique sticker-theme helmet for his 100th Grand Prix, and Daniel Ricciardo – who will make his return from injury this week – has been known to arrive at the track wearing cowboy boots and rhinestone shirts.
Drew Barrymore poses for a photo with Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner and the Red Bull Racing team at Circuit of The Americas on Thursday. (Getty Images)
Red Bull enters the Austin race in dominant form, having clinched the F1 Constructors’ title back in September. Team driver Max Verstappen has been on fire this season as well, notching 14 wins so far and solidifying his third consecutive driver’s championship in the process. Though teammate Sergio Perez has struggled, the Red Bull car has shown a level of consistency and performance not seen since the dominant Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 car from a few years ago.
Other than in 2020, Austin has been the site of the U.S. GP for more than a decade. The race has been held off and on since the early 1900s, and we’ve gained two other American races in recent years. The Miami Grand Prix took place in May this year, and the newest race in Las Vegas is scheduled for mid-November. Though bemoaned by F1’s long-time European fans, Americans’ interest in the sport has grown considerably as shows like Netflix’s Drive to Survive and prominent personalities like Daniel Ricciardo’s draw more eyeballs to the track each week.