Renault truck jumps Lotus F1 car

EMC and Lotus F1 Team recently staged a 'publicity stunt' that truly does the term justice – by jumping a prime mover and trailer over a moving Formula 1 race car, setting a Guinness World Record in the process

The feat was carried out at former US Air Force base in Suffolk, UK, where a Renault prime mover with attached trailer was jumped off a ramp while the F1 car veered beneath it.

Mike Ryan, a professional stunt man previously involved in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious and Terminator 2, was behind the wheel of the Renault. He managed to jump the rig a distance of 83 feet 7 inches (25.5 metres), thereby claiming a new Guinness World Record.

With arguably less to gain but a whole lot more to lose, Martin Ivanov – another pro stuntman who has previously worked on Skyfall and The Bourne Ultimatum – drove the F1 car.

After clearing a ramp the Renault truck sails through the air before smashing back down to earth, the various jettisoned bits of bodywork a testament to the fact that trucks aren't really meant to fly. The F1 car, meanwhile, swerves safely underneath, its driver getting an underside view of a truck no other motorist ever wants to see.

What's the point? Well, the EMC and Lotus F1 Team wanted to highlight how they "Redefine Motorsport", although we suspect we're not about to see jumping trucks integrated with the F1 Championship any time soon...

Whatever the marketing bods were on about, the clip has certainly grabbed the world's attention – after just three days since it was posted on YouTube it had amassed over 3.2 million views. Just be very wary of any ads for a 'slightly used' race team transporter in coming months...