Phoenix 24
An unlikely victory puts precision and traction ahead of raw horsepower.
EAGLE RIVER, Wisconsin. Spanish motorcycle racing legend Dani Pedrosa has defeated a championship-winning Formula 1 car and three other high-performance vehicles in an extraordinary race across a frozen lake, demonstrating how driving technique and mechanical adaptation can overcome differences in power and design.
The competition, organized by Red Bull and featured in a video released on November 12, 2026, brought together five professional drivers and riders from different motorsport disciplines.
Pedrosa competed aboard a modified KTM RC16 MotoGP motorcycle against former Formula 1 driver Patrick Friesacher in a Red Bull RB7, the car associated with Sebastian Vettel’s 2011 world championship victory.
The remaining competitors included former Formula 1 driver and rallycross specialist Scott Speed in a Subaru WRX, Andrew Carlson in a Pro 4 off-road racing truck, and snowmobile racer Gunnar Sterne.
The event, known as the Red Bull Ultimate Winter Race, took place in Eagle River, Wisconsin, where temperatures fell to approximately minus 17 degrees Celsius.
Organizers designed different routes and shortcuts to accommodate the characteristics of each vehicle, making the challenge an unconventional comparison rather than a standard motorsport race.
Pedrosa’s KTM underwent extensive modifications to operate safely on ice. Engineers installed 207 metal studs in the front tire and 300 in the rear, adjusted the suspension, replaced carbon brake discs with steel components and modified the engine settings for extreme cold.
The Formula 1 car also required specialized tires and adjustments to its ground clearance.
During preliminary timed runs, Friesacher recorded the fastest lap at approximately one minute and eleven seconds. Pedrosa and Sterne followed closely, each completing their respective routes in around one minute and twelve seconds.
The final race presented a different challenge.
Pedrosa exploited the motorcycle’s relatively low weight and effective traction to accelerate rapidly, while navigating tight corners that offered little margin for error.
Despite strong competition from the snowmobile and Formula 1 car, the Spanish rider crossed the finish line first.
The victory does not establish that a MotoGP motorcycle is universally faster than a Formula 1 car. Instead, it illustrates how surface conditions, vehicle preparation, course design and driver skill determine performance in unconventional racing environments.
For Pedrosa, a former MotoGP championship contender and current KTM test rider, the result provided another demonstration of the adaptability developed throughout his career.
The event also offered an accessible illustration of motorsport engineering: powerful engines and advanced aerodynamics cannot deliver their full potential without sufficient tire grip.
On a frozen lake in Wisconsin, that fundamental principle helped a motorcycle defeat some of the most formidable machines in racing.
Beyond the Numbers, the Human Achievement.