Sure, that looks like some kind of cyborg with the head of a famous Hollywood star, but it’s actually Tom Cruise strapped into a Red Bull F1 car. Cruise, a longtime racing fan, took a test drive in Southern California with the assistance of David Coulthard, a 13-time Grand Prix winner.
This marked the first time in a Formula One ride for Cruise, who’s driven plenty of cars over the years, including the pace car in the 2009 Daytona 500. At the 2.5-mile Willow Springs track, Cruise hit 181 mph, which must have absolutely terrified the studio and Hollywood types who have invested so much in Cruise. (Of course, if something had happened, that’d make a hell of a movie, right?) Cruise ran 24 laps, improving his time by 11 seconds by his final lap.
“Tom’s the real deal. I was surprised that he picked it up so quickly and is such an accomplished driver,” said Coulthard. “His recall was incredible considering how complicated driving an F1 car is.”
Check out a couple more photos below:
Cruise next shows up in the latest installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise this holiday season. Buy your tickets now!
Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised Cruise knows how to handle a race car. Shoot, look how well he ran at Daytona a few years back:
Tom Cruise takes to the track in a Red Bull F1 ride
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