Oracle Red Bull Racing’s RB8 Formula 1 car went underground in Madrid on Tuesday, roaring onto the tracks of the city’s Metro in a stunt billed as a first for the sport.
Instead of the usual asphalt, the team sent the RB8 down the rail network as the spotlight shifted to the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix, set for a brand-new circuit in Madrid. Sky Sports reported that the RB8 was driven along the Metro tracks, placing a Formula 1 car in an environment few could have imagined.
A jolt of spectacle before the race weekend.
Red Bull framed the event as a symbolic “next stop” for Formula 1’s arrival in Madrid, with the Spanish Grand Prix kicking off Friday. The team chose the RB8, a car with a storied place in Red Bull’s history, for the underground run rather than its current challenger.
Few details emerged about the Metro drive. What mattered: a Formula 1 car thundered beneath Madrid’s streets, riding the city’s rail tracks in a world-first display.
This Madrid activation lands at a pivotal moment in the 2026 championship. Kimi Antonelli arrives as championship leader after a commanding win at Monza, where the Mercedes driver delivered what Sky Sports called a superb performance. The title fight remains alive, with Antonelli and Mercedes still facing stiff competition in the races ahead.
Madrid now steps into the heart of that battle.
The Spanish Grand Prix will debut at a new circuit in the capital, with every session airing live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday. Red Bull’s Metro stunt provided one of the first major visual moments for the event, taking the RB8 from city streets to the depths of its transport system.
Antonelli’s Monza weekend also featured a nod to Italian motorsport heritage. For his home race, he wore a helmet design inspired by Valentino Rossi’s iconic 2002 Mugello lid, created in collaboration with Rossi’s painter, Aldo Drudi. The tribute blended Antonelli’s roots with a salute to a MotoGP legend.
That Monza victory solidified Antonelli’s lead in the championship. The remaining races still leave the title up for grabs, according to Sky Sports, with Mercedes facing plenty of obstacles despite the Italian’s momentum.
Red Bull’s underground spectacle didn’t change the standings, but it thrust Formula 1 into the center of Madrid’s race build-up. The RB8’s Metro run signaled a new kind of arrival for the sport in the Spanish capital.
The Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new track begins Friday.
