Red Bull F1 showrun leaves fans in Oman spellbound

Muscat: Did rain play spoilsport at the first Red Bull F1 show run in Oman? The majority of spectators did not think so.
Even though the show was delayed by a few minutes due to bad weather, when ace British racer David Coulthard did a few wheel-spinning 'donuts' and high speed stretches with the Constructors’ Championship winning machine, the viewers dared the rain and wind to cheer him up.
A few rounds of speed stretches on the 1.1 kilometre iconic Muttrah Corniche road and a few ‘donuts’ at the main spot were enough for the viewers to quench their adrenaline rush.
“We expected more. However, even in the bad weather, he (Coulthard) did not disappoint us. We salute him for doing ‘donuts’ on the slippery road,” Mohammed Nasser, a private company employee, and his friends said.
Asif Mohammed, another F1 fan, said he had come around 12pm to watch the show and was praying to see Coulthard driving the machine for at least for a minute when the weather started worsening.
“When the organisers announced that they are holding the event for 15 minutes due to the adverse weather conditions, I started to pray for everything to be okay soon. How can we miss a chance to see Coulthard in the racing machine doing speed stretches? A big thank you to Coulthard and the organisers for not disappointing us,” Mohammed added.
Ritul Sha, an expatriate who came with his family, said if rain hadn’t been there, they would have been lucky to enjoy a thrilling sport.
“The rain disappointed us. But Coulthard didn’t. Under such risky conditions, he lived up to the moment,” Sha added.
Even as the skies over Muttrah Corniche remained cloudy, by 12pm itself, the entire stretch designated for the public was occupied by hundreds of youngsters and families.
People were even seen on top of the hill where a huge incense burner, Muscat’s known landmark, is situated.
“Such shows will create a space on the global tourism map for Oman. That is why we have brought this show to Oman,” Mohammed Al Riyami, a top official at the Ministry of Tourism, told Times of Oman.
After Coulthard’s show run, Oman’s ace racing champion Ahmad Al Harthy drove the Vulcan hyper car, one out of the 24 all over the world, along the Muttrah Corniche for viewers.
The show was held under the patronage of under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Taimur Bin Assad Al Said.
The showrun was held with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, under the umbrella of the Oman Automobile Association and the Royal Oman Police.