Rock Star Russian Vladimir Putin Goes Formula One Racing

Russian President Vladimir Putin

(CHICAGO) - He's stared down Siberian tigers, faced a snarling polar bear, stood toe-to-fin with a killer whale, and rides shirtless on horseback across the rugged, frozen Russian tundra...

And now Russian 'rock star' Vladimir Putin has squeezed himself into the driver's seat of a lemon-yellow Renault Formula One race car and burned up the track at over 150mph.

When he's not thrilling Russia's children, wringing admiration from men and making cute Russian girls swoon (some sent him a sexy calendar of themselves in lingerie for a surprise birthday present), or dousing out Siberian forest fires, Prime Minister Putin is managing the burgeoning Russian ship of state.

Alexei Mukhin, the director of the independent Center for Political Information in Moscow, once told the Monitor news service that "This is Putin's personal style, he likes to show that he's everywhere, that he can do anything. And all indications show that this works. Russians feel reassured to have such a leader, and they miss Putin as president. You can see it in their eyes."

Speculation abounds that the popular leader will make a bid for the presidency of the Russian Federation again during 2012. If true, then Russians will be expressing their feelings for Putin with more than their eyes—they'll let their thoughts be known at the ballot box.

Back at the racetrack, man's man Putin dons a racing helmet painted with the national, double-headed eagle emblem of Mother Russia, strolls around in full racing garb and whizzes around the track like a world-class race driver.

Make no mistake, Putin is definitely world-class. Intelligent, assertive, fearless, reeking of charisma…all of these things seem to naturally emanate from the man.

As state television broadcast the event across the country, Putin wisecracked behind the full face visor of his helmet. "My old Zaporozhets had more space." A reference to the much cursed old Soviet car known for its lack of style and creature comforts.

A government website carrying the event said Putin performed laps for hours.

Other than solidifying the daring-do spirit of the Russian leader, the event was also intended to create publicity for Russia's entre into the sport of Formula One Grand Prix racing. The inaugural event will be held during 2014 in the southern Russian city of Sochi.

The event is championed by the visionary leader who also is very much aware of the financial impact Renault can have on his country. The French auto giant shares 25 percent of Avtovaz, Russia's biggest car maker. Putin has offered a deal to Renault that would permit the auto manufacturer to increase its stake to 50 percent.

Across the Atlantic, American president Obama tools around in armored SUVs, mechanized caravans, travels with squadrons of fighter jets and half the American navy at his back.

He might consider interrupting his itinerary and taking a quick trip to Moscow. There, he could observe Putin close-up and take notes on what a real world leader should look like.

Terrence Aym is a Salem-News.com Contributor based in Chicago, who is well known nationally for his stirring reports on the top ranked site, helium.com. Born in Minnesota, Terrence Aym grew up in the Chicagoland suburbs. Having traveled to 40 of the 50 states and lived in 7 of them, Aym is no stranger to travel. He's also spent time in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Western Africa. An executive for many years with Wall Street broker-dealer firms, Aym has also had a life-long interest in science, technology, the arts, philosophy and history. If it's still possible to be a 'Renaissance man' in the 21st Century, Aym is working hard to be one.

Aym has several book projects in the works. Media sites that have recently featured Aym, and/or discussed his articles, include ABC News, TIME Magazine, Business Insider, Crunchgear.com, Discover, Dvice, Benzinga and more recently, his work has been showing up in South Africa and Russia.