The Caribbean doesn't usually factor in to the F1 world. There's no race on any of the islands. There are, of course, no teams based there. And the closest they have to a home-grown driver is British-born Lewis Hamilton, whose father comes from the region. But Barbados got a taste of the action yesterday when Ferrari brought Schumacher's 248 to the island for a demonstration.
The event was a promotion for Shell, one of the Scuderia's biggest sponsors. Test driver Marc Gene drove the car down an impromptu track on a closed-off section of the island's Ronald Mapp Highway between two Shell stations, a circuit which Gene likened to Monaco.
Over twenty thousand spectators showed up for the event. But while they were screaming with excitement, Gene couldn't hear them over the wail of the engine as he rocketed to sixty in under a second, hitting a top speed of over 270 kph.
It's doubtful the event will prove a precursor to a future Caribbean Grand Prix, but just the same it's good to share the octane.
[Source: The Nation via Italiaspeed]
Sign in to post
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Continue