Doing donuts in a Formula One car is cool. Thermal imaging also is cool. Combine them and you've got a totally awesome video reminiscent of an erupting volcano.

Not surprisingly, we have Infiniti Red Bull Racing to thank for this insanity. Looking for an extra edge, it teamed up with thermal imaging company FLIR (which makes a very impressive iPhone infrared camera) to get better info on how its RB10 Formula One car’s various components heat up and cool off, so it can manage temperatures and improve reliability.

We don't know what Red Bull gleaned from the FLIR data, but it clearly realized its cars look badass in infrared. So it sent the RB8, its 2012 F1 car, to the Gamma Racing Day festivities in the Netherlands in early August, to show off a bit. Whatever lessons the engineers may take away, the FLIR cameras teach us at home that when you do donuts in a car this powerful, the results are indelibly sweet. Unless you don’t like seeing showers of heat fly off smoking tires.