Wout van Aert has traded bike racing for movie-making.
Van Aert appeared alongside Formula One world champion Max Verstappen in a new promo video released by energy drink giant and personal sponsor Red Bull.
“Join Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen for an intense training session packed with obstacles and surprises across Belgium as Formula 1 gets ready to return from the summer break,” reads the spiel for the seven-minute YouTube short.
Dutch driver Verstappen drives for Red Bull Racing and brought the team a world championship title last season.
The video focuses on Verstappen speeding through a gamified world in preparation for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix and features a “pit stop challenge” against Van Aert.
Van Aert and then Verstappen both receive timed “pit lane” style wheel switches before speeding off. Red Bull-sponsored rally drivers Thierry Neuville and Guillaume de Mevius also feature.
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“I’m used to being chased, but not by an F1 car,” Van Aert told Sporza. “They go a little faster. Waving to Max Verstappen as he passes me in his RB7 car was on my bucket list.”
Rebuilding for road worlds
When not busy shooting movies, Van Aert squeezed in some time for his bike racing side-hustle Sunday.
The Jumbo-Visma captain was surprised in the sprint finish of the BemerCyclassic by Marco Haller in what was his first race since the Tour de France.
“I felt fine today. Shortly after the Tour, I had a flu, but after a week or two, I was able to resume training. Everything has been going smoothly ever since,” he said after the German race.
Van Aert will now pedal through the GP Plouay and Canadian one-dayers as he rebuilds for the road world championships in mid-September.
“The second place is disappointing, but it is also a sign that the form is in good shape,” he said. “That gives a lot of confidence in the run-up to the upcoming races.”
