A Mercedes AMG Formula One car is all set to roar in South Korea at the ‘Peaches Run Universe’ event on October 12 in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do. This marks the first time F1 has returned to the country since its last race in 2013.
Mercedes will be sending reserve driver Valtteri Bottas for the demo run next month, where he will take to the wheel of the team’s W13 F1 car from the 2022 season.
Bottas will race for the Cadillac F1 team next year as a full-time driver. The first time he raced in South Korea was during his debut season with Williams. However, a premier-class racing event never took place in the East Asian country after 2013.
With the growing demand from other Asian countries to host F1, such as Thailand preparing for a future street race, it wouldn’t be surprising if Grand Prix events returned to South Korea. Opening up about the upcoming Peaches Run Universe event, Bottas said in a statement:
“I was fortunate enough to be in my debut season the last time F1 raced in South Korea back in 2013.
“The passion of the fans for our sport was clear, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
“To be able to bring F1 back to the country is brilliant; the team and I are determined to put on a great show for everyone who will be at the AMG Speedway next month for Peaches Run Universe 2025.”
Peaches Run Universe shared a post on Instagram, revealing Bottas’ run as the main highlight of the event. The post read:
“Peaches, a lifestyle brand based on car culture. ‘Peaches Run Universe 2025’ will be held at AMG Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do on October 12. ‘Peaches Run Universe’ is Peaches that captures the efforts in colorful fields like fashion, art, F&B, etc. for those who love car culture. This is an event planned to create an unprecedented special automobile festival in Korea.
“The main event of the event is a demo run by Valteri Bottas (@valtteribottas), a driver of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team (@mercedesamgf1) and will show the incredible performance of a real F1 race as it is on a racing circuit. As well as that, spectators can see first-hand the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team’s pit garage, vans, racing suits and more, and experience racing simulators. [sic]
“Peaches. In order to lift the heat of the day, we are going to give Korean car enthusiasts an unforgettable day through large-scale exhibition and driving of rare cars that are hard to find in Korea. Besides that, special merchandise prepared for this event, a colorful entertainment street will be set up, including a celebration performance by K-pop artists, F&B and experience space.
“Pre-orders for ‘Peaches Run Universe’ will be on a first-come-first-served basis through ‘Gifting Kakao Talk FOR ME’ on September 25th at 10am. You can apply for an advance ‘Open Reminder’ on September 18th at 10am Details such as reservation information, vehicle lineup, site composition, entry instructions, etc. will be released sequentially through the @peachesrununiverse account later.” [Translated by Instagram]
