VIDEO- GASLY AND ALBON’S INSTANBULL F1 ROAD TRIP
Combining three days’ worth of Istanbul sights in a single-day adventure might seem impossible. But as a new video reveals, Pierre Gasly of Scuderia AlphaTauri and Alexander Albon of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing achieved that goal in their own fashion, piloting F1 cars to visit the city’s landmark locations. The drivers took to the streets to celebrate the debut of premium fashion brand AlphaTauSeeing Istanbul means exploring two continents, so the drivers split off, creating new views of the city as cameras captured them from multiple perspectives. Their RB7 racecars turned heads as they flashed past the Topkapi Palace, Galata Bridge and Blue Mosque and drifted at Sultanahmet Square.
During the whirlwind day trip, both cars crossed from the Asian continent to the European and back in mere moments. First was the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing car crossing under the Bosphorus Strait in the Eurasia Tunnel, before Albon and Gasly met 64 meters above the Bosphorus on the iconic 15 July Martyrs Bridge. For good measure, French driver Gasly became the first person to perform donuts in two continents at the same time.
The show run, timed alongside the Formula 1 DHL Turkish Grand Prix, celebrated the debut of premium fashion brand AlphaTauri in Istanbul, where the collection is now available at select Vakkorama Stores. Altogether, AlphaTauri’s collection is available in almost 90 countries worldwide.
Gasly and Albon concluded their off-track day in Istanbul by attending the AlphaTauri fashion launch, where they posed for photographers before becoming the first VIP customers to shop the AlphaTauri collection at Vakkorama.
“It’s been amazing to drive an F1 car in Istanbul, especially crossing between two continents on the Bosphorus Bridge,” said Gasly, who claimed his maiden F1 win – and the first for his team in AlphaTauri colors – at Monza in September. The Frenchman continued, “I’m very happy to be a part of the launch for the AlphaTauri fashion label in Turkey. I love fashion and I love clothing, so for me it’s a great opportunity to work with such a premium brand. It’s our first season together, and it’s great to see it growing worldwide and evolving so fast. It’s a cool thing to be a part of this special occasion.”
Scuderia AlphaTauri Team Principal Franz Tost added, “Istanbul is such a beautiful, fantastic city, and the racetrack is very nice. We are excited to have the chance to join our partner AlphaTauri along the very important milestones in the course of their global expansion.”
Ahmet Mercan, General Manager AlphaTauri, explained, “To launch in this new market right in time with F1 being back in Istanbul was the perfect moment for us: it creates such an emotional and positive momentum, which supports the awareness of AlphaTauri right from the beginning.”
Albon – who with Aston Martin Red Bull Racing marked an anniversary in Turkey, the team’s 300th Grand Prix – said, “It’s been a really cool experience to drive an F1 car through some iconic spots of Istanbul. It was a lot of fun crossing two continents and driving across the Bosphorus Bridge was a standout moment for me.” The first Thai driver ever to stand on an F1 podium also commented on AlphaTauri’s fashion brand, saying, “I’ve been to AlphaTauri and seen how things are processed from the ground up, and I associate it very much with a Formula 1 team. It’s innovative – there’s a lot of technology behind it, and it’s cool to see it being used in everyday life.”