Jaime Alguersuari prepares for a very different track.Despite the garages full of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches, though, spotting a super car - a single seater of the open wheel variety - is the stuff of dreams. Well, pigs may not have sprouted wings, but the chance to see a Formula One race car in Hong Kong has arrived.
The Red Bull Dragon Run Hong Kong rolls into town this week, with Scuderia Toro Rosso (literally "Bull Red" in Italian) F1 driver Jaime Alguersuari and his Ferrari-powered race horse.
Red Bull has put together five days of F1-related events. The F1 showcar will be on display at World Trade Centre on Wednesday; on Thursday, it will show up at undisclosed locations across the city; and Friday will see the car parked in front of 7-Eleven on Paterson Street, Causeway Bay. The highlight of the event will come Saturday, when Spaniard Alguersuari will demonstrate car manoeuvres such as short sprints, burnouts and doughnuts along a 600-metre stretch of Central's Lung Wo Road.
Alguersuari holds the distinction of being the youngest driver to ever compete in an F1 race. At the tender age of 19 years, 125 days, he debuted at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.
"It was very difficult, as I was very young and had never driven the Formula One car before the first practice in Budapest," the now 21-year-old tells Young Post. "It was very tough but also a great experience that made me much stronger for the future."
Alguersuari got his start in racing as an eight-year-old growing up in Catalonia, Spain. His father bought him a go-kart and he began racing for fun, before progressing to formula racing.
"I've been a Red Bull driver since 2005, when I was recruited into the Red Bull junior team," says Alguersuari. "This programme really gave me the chance to develop professionally as a racing driver with well-rounded capabilities off and on the track. I spent a few years in the Formula Renault and after winning the British F3, I made it into F1."
Whether you're a car enthusiast or casual observer, come Saturday, the union between man and machine will be a sight to behold. And there's also that unforgettable roar of a finely-tuned engine. See you all there.