Emil Forsberg and David Coulthard: Leipzig F1 tour

The streets of Leipzig suddenly vibrate and smoking tires draw glances from the roadside. Anyone on a bike suddenly stops to check out the unmistakable sound of a V10 engine. Shocked locals can barely believe their eyes, yes, it’s an Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 car roaring around in the evening. And in the driver’s seat is none other than David Coulthard.

For 15 years, the Scot was a fixture in Formula One, regularly engaging in wheel-to-wheel duels with legends such as Michael Schumacher and excellent during his four-year spell with Red Bull Racing. Now, the 13-time race winner has come to the home of the reigning DFB-Pokal winners to find out more about the highly-rated Leipzig team.

Football meets F1: Emil Forsberg welcomes David Coulthard to Leipzig

© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

The Cup hero experiences the thrills of F1

All that’s missing for Coulthard is an experienced tour guide, so who better to show the Scot around the city than one of Leipzig’s longest-serving players, Emil Forsberg? “After seven years in Leipzig I really know the most beautiful areas,” says the Swede, who achieved cult status with an injury-time winner in the 2-1 win over FC Union Berlin in the DFB-Pokal semi-final.

Forsberg ready to go full throttle

© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

Sightseeing at speed: David Coulthard and Emil Forsberg

© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

Sporting a custom Red Bull Leipzig race suit, Forsberg meets Coulthard at the Red Bull Arena and quickly dons his helmet in order to get the tour underway. Strapped into the Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 two-seater, the sightseeing tour of the Saxon metropolis can get underway. First on the list is heading to the Federal Administrative Court and racing over the Könneritz Bridge, before heading to a destination that Forsberg picked out especially for Coulthard.

Coulthard and Leipzig: love at second sight

Making just his second-ever visit to the German city, Coulthard has well and truly taken Leipzig to his heart. He says: “It’s a cool, modern university city with lots of young people. The city has a special energy and exudes positive vibes. I love being here.”

David Coulthard gets to the bottom of the hype surrounding Leipzig

© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

The city of Leipzig has a special energy and exudes positive vibes

Meanwhile, Forsberg, who has an affinity for motorsports, was clearly delighted at taking part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience and sitting in a cockpit that had identical features to that of an F1 race car. “The top speed is 320kph. That’s as close as you can get to giving a co-driver the feeling of driving a Formula One car,” says Coulthard.

Revved up for the new season to begin, Forsberg and his Leipzig team-mates want to embody the high-speed football that rival teams feared and was the basis for the first piece of major silverware in the club’s history. The DFB-Pokal winners will start the first home match of the new 2022/23 Bundesliga season against FC Köln on August 13.