Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Ad Nauseam

Red Bull Racing Lives the Urban Car Marketer’s Sociopathic Dream

There are a lot of gasp-inducing moments in Red Bull Racing's new video to promote the Formula One Grand Prix of America, scheduled for Weehawken and Union City in June 2013.

First, there's the introduction: the national anthem being played by the dulcet tones of a revving engine. Then there are shots of the driver speeding along the walkway at Liberty State Park and through the streets of Weehawken, before heading down an empty Lincoln Tunnel to really open up the throttle.

The Lincoln Tunnel shots are spliced with images of crowded Manhattan streets -- implying, but not actually showing, the danger of a high-speed tour of the Big Apple. Then there's the finale: a Formula One driver burning rubber and doing donuts as two cyclists circle around him in what might be a bizarre share-the-road message.

It's a video that lots of carmakers would drool over as a way to sell their driving machines.

According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the shoot occurred on August 13 and 14, closing the Liberty State Park waterfront walkway to the public. We've reached out to the Township of Weehawken Police Department and Red Bull Racing for additional comment on how the video was shot.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Mamdani Appoints Pro-Labor Lawyer To Run Worker Protection Agency

"My life's work has been about ensuring that money and power cannot trample the rights and dignity of working people," said the incoming DCWP commissioner, Sam Levine.

December 23, 2025

Don’t Believe the Hype: NJ Turnpike Widening Still Happening

Gov. Murphy's late revision will just move the problem around, advocates say.

December 23, 2025

Off-Topic Tuesday: Streetsblog Joins Campaign for Public Financing of Non-Profit Media

New York provides tax credits to for-profit newsrooms. Now, non-profit digital outlets, public broadcasters and public access channels are seeking equal treatment. Doing so would strengthen our democracy.

December 23, 2025

Streetsies 2025: A Year of Horrific Carnage By Drivers

Car drivers terrorized New Yorkers throughout the year. Here are the most shocking examples of traffic violence in the five boroughs.

December 23, 2025

Anatomy of a Manhunt: How NYPD Quickly Caught a Hit-and-Run Killer on the Lower East Side

Cops used laser-fast technology, old-style gumshoe detective work and a little help from the hapless suspect to make an arrest in last week's hit-and-run.

December 22, 2025
See all posts