Metro Atlanta

Formula 1 demo brings motorsports to Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood

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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
HUGO Formula One race car takes part in a demonstration run on Hank Aaron Drive during the Red Bull Showrun Atlanta Presented by Ford Racing on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Atlanta. Atlanta city officials this week approved permits for the Red Bull Showrun that will allow the live motorsports demonstration event to go on as advertised along a roughly half-mile stretch of Hank Aaron Drive — a backup location after earlier plans to hold the event near Piedmont Park ran into opposition from Midtown residents. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
By AJC staff
1 hour ago

Metro Atlanta residents got a glimpse of Formula 1 on Saturday with the Red Bull Showrun.

The live motorsports demonstration showcased the speed, sound and power of Formula 1, but not in the traditional form of the international races that feature custom-built cars reaching speeds over 200 mph.

Instead, this weekend’s event in the Summerhill community touted professional drivers performing maneuvers such as burnouts, high-speed demonstrations and precision driving in designated performance zones.

Organizers expected thousands of people to attend the event, and spectators started lining up to watch before 5 p.m.

The roadway activities along a roughly half-mile stretch of Hank Aaron Drive caused concern ahead of the event because they took place atop the bus lanes for MARTA’s new bus rapid transit route, which soft-launched earlier this year but is still under construction.

Officials with the transit agency told city staff last month the event would require rerouting buses for days, as well as disrupt active construction along the Rapid A line — a project that’s already behind schedule. City officials granted a permit for Saturday’s Red Bull Showrun nonetheless.

MARTA’s detours will run through Sunday.