Kriss Kyle jumps over a moving F1 car

Kriss Kyle has always done things a little differently. He’s dropped into skateparks suspended beneath hot air balloons. He’s built ramps inside abandoned buildings, cliffside castles and Dubai’s skyline. But this time, he’s done something that’s arguably more dangerous than all of those combined: jumped his BMX bike over a moving Formula 1 car.
And not just any F1 car. The Red Bull Racing RB7. The same model Sebastian Vettel piloted to a championship in 2011. Hurtling toward Kyle at a blistering pace.

“It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” Kyle says. “There’s a 0.2-second window to hit the jump. Less than the blink of an eye.”

A custom kicker and a massive commitment

The feat took two years of planning, endless test runs and a custom-built ramp designed by Red Bull Advanced Technologies. Kyle and the team used motion-capture data to fine-tune his trajectory: not just to clear the height of the car’s cockpit, but to safely soar over its towering rear wing. The final target: 1.3 metres of air, precisely timed.

But numbers on paper are one thing. Executing the jump, with a 650-horsepower machine charging straight at you? That’s another.

“My mouth was dry. My hands were sweating. I didn’t know if it was the heat or if I’d just shat myself,” Kyle jokes in the video.

Practice, wind and one final shot

Before the main event, Kyle had to prove he could clear five side-by-side passes with the car at speed. If he failed, the safety team would pull the plug.

He nailed four. Missed one in the wind. Then finally, hit the fifth.

“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do mentally,” he said.

The wind picked up again. Time on track was running out. With just one final attempt left  Kyle dropped in. He blew it. He drifted off to the side after a gust of wind hit him and he didn’t jump over the car. So they relocated.

The jump

Relocating to the Goodwood Racing Circuit, there was one more chance to give it a go. Everything had to align. Driver David Coulthard — yes, that David Coulthard — locked his pace. Kyle timed his sprint. The countdown ticked down.

The two met at the perfect spot.

Kyle soared, clearing the RB7 with room to spare. The crew erupted.

“I’ve visualized this moment for years,” Kyle said, catching his breath. “I imagined high-fiving everyone at the end. In my head, I’d already done it. I just had to do it again; for real.”

A bike legacy

Many have done the car jump before. The late…