Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise was behind the wheel of a Red Bull Formula 1 car during a promotional shoot back in 2011.
Cruise is one of the biggest movie stars in the world. His popular franchise Mission Impossible, has shown fans just how good his stunt moves and action scenes are. However, seeing the actor drive an F1 car is something not many expected.
He has been involved in several F1 events so far, and last year he also attended the British GP as Mercedes’ guest. His only time driving an F1 car on the other hand was back in 2011. This was a year before the sport started racing in Austin as a part of the US Grand Prix.
The event took place in Willow Springs, California which is one of the country’s most iconic speedways. His arrival at the track itself was in typical Tom Cruise style, as he looped a helicopter mid-air, before landing it on ground.
Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard was present on scene to receive him, and guide him through the briefing process.
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Tom Cruise getting up to speed was remarkable, former Red Bull driver Coulthard claimed
Coulthard carefully guided Tom Cruise through all the instructions before he took the car out for a spin. The Brit praised the now 59-year-old actor’s ability to take in every instruction and execute it to perfection.
“For someone that is so skilled in his main career, he’s able to take in information very quickly and then go replay that on the race track,” Coulthard said.
“He’s been through a lot of tracks done a lot of laps. So he’s got the visual, he understands the, you know, how to take the car around the race track. It was remarkable how quick he got up to speed.”
Tom Cruise flips a helicopter. Yep: http://t.co/KO4AaHKb @redbullracing #WTF #Flying @redbull #F1 #badass #racing pic.twitter.com/ZYKRXi6d
— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) January 25, 2013
One of the most striking moments of the video was Cruise’s presence of mind. He lost control of his car at one point and spun off track onto the dirt. Most people who aren’t associated with F1 would just stop then and there, but Cruise understood that an F1 car must not sit idle for long with it’s engine running.
He instantaneously took bac control and brought the car back on track. It was a move that earned plaudits for the man who plays ‘Mr. Ethan Hunt’ on screen.
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