Watch Vettel Belt Around The 'Ring In A V8 F1 Car On E-Fuels

The sight of a modern-ish F1 car lapping the Nurburgring Nordschleife is an incongruous one. The 12.9-mile course hasn't held a Grand Prix for decades, and it's only very occasionally that we're treated to an F1 demo run of the course, like this one at last weekend's 'Red Bull Formula Nurburgring' event.

It features two RB7s, the car Red Bull Racing campaigned during the 2011 season, which yielded both a constructors' title and a drivers' title for Sebastian Vettel - the German's second on the bounce. And it's Vettel in one of those cars, plus another RBR veteran in the other - David Coulthard. 

Where it gets really interesting is how those cars' V8s were fuelled - using synthetic, clean-burning petrol. That's particularly important for Vettel, who cited the environmental impact of F1 as one of his reasons for retiring from the sport. He said: 

"I feel like I'm in a time capsule – a lot of memories have come up once I got into the car. It's going to be a lot of fun going on the big track and doing it in a way that I am happy with. Somehow everything fits together here today – including the fact that we are now running the car with CO2-neutral fuel.

"Motorsport is my great passion and I want to keep the sport alive. Fuels can be produced synthetically and serve as a substitute fuel. It is important that we all become aware that we must do something. And the great thing is – you don't feel any difference in the car, it's just as much fun driving it on synthetic fuel."

"I feel like I'm in a time capsule – a lot of memories have come up once I got into the car. It's going to be a lot of fun going on the big track and doing it in a way that I am happy with. Somehow everything fits together here today – including the fact that we are now running the car with CO2-neutral fuel.

"Motorsport is my great passion and I want to keep the sport alive. Fuels can be produced synthetically and serve as a substitute fuel. It is important that we all become aware that we must do something. And the great thing is – you don't feel any difference in the car, it's just as much fun driving it on synthetic fuel."

"I feel like I'm in a time capsule – a lot of memories have come up once I got into the car. It's going to be a lot of fun going on the big track and doing it in a way that I am happy with. Somehow everything fits together here today – including the fact that we are now running the car with CO2-neutral fuel. 

"Motorsport is my great passion and I want to keep the sport alive. Fuels can be produced synthetically and serve as a substitute fuel. It is important that we all become aware that we must do something. And the great thing is – you don't feel any difference in the car, it's just as much fun driving it on synthetic fuel."

Given the nature of the track, it's not hugely surprising to see that the demo run was done behind a pace car. But still, the cars were going quick enough to give the 60,000 spectators at the track - plus us at home - a good earful of naturally aspirated, high-revving V8 goodness. 

Also along for the event was Alpha Tauri's Yuki Tsunoda getting his first ever Nordschleife experience in a Honda NSX GT3 Evo, and Mathias Lauda driving his father Niki's old Ferrari 312.