The Minardi Cosworth two-seater F1 team wowed a crowd of 12 500 onlookers (including 20 breathless passengers) at AA Kyalami on Sunday.
The Minardi Cosworth two-seater F1 team wowed a crowd of 12 500 onlookers (including 20 breathless passengers) at AA Kyalami on Sunday.
Minardi F1 driver Zsolt Baumgartner, test driver Bas Leinders and South Africa’s representative in the F3000 championship, Alan van der Merwe, blitzed around the challenging 4,30-km track, which last hosted the South African Grand Prix in 1993.
Sunday’s activities concluded with a dramatic, side-by-side, standing-start run involving both Minardi F1 two-seater chassis. The purpose of the event was to publicise the Altech South African F1x2 Grand Prix, which will be held at Kyalami on August 9, and will feature the full Minardi F1x2 "fleet" of eight cars.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and Unite Against Hunger charities. All three drivers also took the opportunity on Friday to visit Soweto in order to see the work being done by these world-famous organisations.
"The whole day was good fun," said Baumgartner. "I think the drivers and passengers all enjoyed themselves, and I’m sure the spectators particularly enjoyed the start with both cars at the end of the afternoon. I’m sure the August event, though, will be even more exciting. All in all, it has been a great weekend."
Van der Merwe said: "It has been an awesome experience. This kind of event really is a win-win situation, with the charities benefiting, the sponsors gaining exposure and the drivers all thoroughly enjoying it. I’m now really looking forward to coming back in August for the Altech South African F1x2 Grand Prix."