Red Bull and Bossa Goodtimes Bar and Restaurant collaborated to display a Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car outside the Stellenbosch restaurant on 30 April. PHOTO: Tim Malinzi
A Formula 1 car raced by the likes of Sebastian Vettel was recently on display at a local restaurant.
This is according to Garreth Müller, senior manager at Bossa Goodtimes Bar and Restaurant in Stellenbosch.
Red Bull collaborated with Bossa in a “joint venture” which involved displaying the car in front of Bossa’s Stellenbosch branch on 30 April, said Müller. He defined the display as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to see a Formula 1 car in person.
Bossa Goodtimes Bar and Restaurant received roughly double the amount of visitors on the day of the display compared to an ordinary day, according to Garreth Müller, senior manager at Bossa Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Tim Malinzi
A win-win relationship
Müller stated that the display was mutually beneficial because it advertised “not only Bossa, but also Red Bull and the Formula 1”.
“Especially with Formula 1 being so popular, [Bossa and Red Bull] came up with the idea of ‘let’s pop a Formula 1 car in front of the shop and see what happens’,” stated Müller.
The display was a success, according to Müller, who estimated that 700 people visited the restaurant on the day. Ordinarily, 300 to 400 people visit Bossa Stellenbosch per day, said Müller.
“This is an opportunity to see something we would probably never see in our lifetimes,” said Müller. “I personally never thought I would get a chance to see [a Formula 1 car] up close, and yet today here I’m standing with one parked outside the shop.”
The Formula 1 car that was recently on display in front of a Stellenbosch restaurant was Red Bull Racing’s RB9 model from 2013, which won the Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship that year. This is according to Jean (left) and Estiaan (right) Hough, Red Bull Racing “superfans”. PHOTO: Tim Malinzi
Championship-winning car
The car on display was Red Bull Racing’s RB9 model, which was raced in 2013 by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. This is according to Estiaan and Jean Hough, self-proclaimed Formula 1 and Red Bull Racing “superfans”.
“The RB9 did very well for Red Bull,” stated Jean. “Sebastian Vettel won nine races in a row in this car and won the drivers’ championship.” Red Bull Racing also won the Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship in 2013, he added.
The car on display had been slightly modified to emulate the car Red Bull Racing currently uses, noted Estiaan. He pointed out the stickers of new sponsors and the current drivers to support this point.
“You can see by the Walmart and crypto-currencies stickers; it’s only the current sponsors, but it’s the old shell,” said Estiaan Hough. “The car also has Perez and Verstappen’s names on it, but they never would have raced in this car,” he suggested.
The insignia on the Formula 1 car that was recently on display in front of a Stellenbosch restaurant were of modern sponsors and drivers, as opposed to the sponsors and drivers Red Bull Racing had in 2013 when the RB9 was still being raced, Estiaan Hough, self-proclaimed Formula 1 “superfan”, pointed out. PHOTO: Tim Malinzi
The car was displayed without a gearbox or engine, as this would have made the car more difficult to transport, noted Müller.
MatieMedia reached out to Red Bull, however they were unable to provide comment by the time of publication.
Sebastian Vettel won the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship while driving the RB9 in 2013, according to Jean Hough, self-proclaimed Formula 1 “superfan”. PHOTO: Tim Malinzi