Everyone, and in this case, everything is taking up surfing. I present to you the Renault F1 surfer car.
An F1 car reaches speeds of up to 360 kmph per on track and weighs 730 kilograms, excluding fuel and driver. The Renault Sport Formula 1 Team decided to test their powerful vehicle in one of the world’s harshest environments: the open ocean. What could go wrong?
“During a brainstorm, we came up with the original idea of having an F1 car on a surfboard. Then, it snowballed into much bigger ideas,” explains François Puentes, head of marketing of Renault Sport Racing.
“The initial reaction was ‘yes, you’re crazy.’ and then ‘no, it’s not feasible.’ But from the moment the project was approved until the shooting, it took about four or five weeks.”
Professional surfer Ellie Jean-Coffey was one of the stars of the TV ad, alongside official 2016 Renault drivers Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer.
“I’ve never seen a board that big, let alone a race car on top of it. It’s quite wild,” said Jean-Coffey.
The crew added extra flotation to the board in case a rogue wave flipped it. But everything went well, and Renault returned to F1 with a tan and in grand style.
“This is an embodiment of our passion for life, and how we want to enjoy everything we’re doing around this sport. Hopefully, people will appreciate, and get the vibe that we’re putting out with the team,” concludes Andy Stobart, head of communications of Renault Sport Racing.
“Love the yellow, but this was weird… either that or marketing genius”, – Top youtube comment
