Valtteri Bottas Off The Hook Drifting in Abu Dhabi

We all know that the legendary Finn is a master behind the wheel whether it’s F1 or Rally racing, but what would happen if you let him loose on the exclusive La La Land drift track in Abu Dhabi?  The answer is quite simply some of the best drifting action to be seen anywhere. Valtteri is a 10-times Grand Prix winner, so you’re guaranteed something epic whenever someone with this level of mastery cuts loose on the track. 

The former Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 champion left his usual high-performance wheels behind to test a couple of 800bhp drift cars on the famous Gulf state track. The results were awesome, to say the least. Valtteri took time out of his packed schedule to hang out with the Lunatics By Nature Monster Energy drift team. For most of us, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime high adrenaline challenge; for him, it was a chance to relax and blow off a little steam. When it comes to drifting, the Lunatics always take it to the next level and that's exactly what the F1 legend was looking for on his day off.  Together they spent an afternoon bashing limiters, burning rubber, and tearing up the track with door-to-door tandem drifts. 

The champ has been driving cars since he was six years old so there's not a whole lot that he hasn't seen before when it comes to high-powered vehicles. It was no surprise to see him quickly master the skills of drifting that the Lunatics team is famous for. He attributed his ability to adapt to his extensive rally experience. He explained that compared to an F1 track, in a rally you are always having to shift weight, slide, and maintain control of the car to stay on the course and ahead of your competitors. The champ had a ball and seemed totally at home in the roaring V8 engine with the smell of melting rubber in the hot desert sun. If you want to see the results for yourself, you can check them out right here.