Tsunoda's Red Bull demo ends in fiery RB7 blaze during San Francisco showrun

A Red Bull Formula 1 demonstration in San Francisco turned dramatic when an iconic RB7 car, driven by reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda, erupted in flames. The incident occurred during a series of burnouts, forcing the session to a halt. In a costly double blow for the team, a second RB7 driven by Scott Speed crashed into a barrier during the same event, damaging its front wing.

Why it matters:

Public demonstration runs are high-profile marketing exercises designed to showcase team heritage and excite fans, making any significant incident a prominent and costly public relations event. The damage to two pieces of F1 history—the championship-winning RB7 cars from 2011—represents a substantial financial and historical loss for Red Bull's collection.

The details:

• The fire began with flames emerging from the engine cover of Tsunoda's car after he performed burnouts on Marina Blvd.
• The second RB7, piloted by former F1 driver Scott Speed, crashed after a maneuver went wrong, sending the car nose-first into a plastic barrier and breaking the front wing.
• The cars involved are believed to be the same chassis used in promotional events last year, including a run in Adelaide and a driver swap test with Supercars stars Broc Feeney and Will Brown.
• The event, the Red Bull Showrun San Francisco Presented By Ford, was a major attraction, drawing a reported crowd of over 40,000 people.

What's next:

Red Bull will now assess the damage to both RB7 chassis. While the team has the resources for repairs, the incidents underscore the inherent risks of running complex, historic race cars in dynamic public displays. For Tsunoda, the focus returns to his reserve and simulator duties with the championship-winning squad, a role he assumed this season after being replaced at the Racing Bulls team by Isack Hadjar.