This weekend sees the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship head Down Under for the Australian Grand Prix.
Before the on-track action begins in Melbourne, Red Bull Racing has treated reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo to an epic homecoming.
In his first trip back to Australia following his return to the Red Bull team, Ricciardo took the championship-winning RB7 Formula 1 car on a road trip across some of Australia’s most challenging terrains.
Dusting the competition
The road trip began in the heart of the Australian Outback, with Ricciardo meeting enduro motorbike riders Toby Price and Daniel Sanders.
At a cattle station, Ricciardo used the RB7 F1 racer to drift on dirt, before heading deeper into the dusty terrain.
In a scene more reminiscent of the Forza Horizon 3 video game, Ricciardo took on aerobatic pilot Matt Hall, at the iconic Sea Cliff Bridge in New South Wales.
This saw the RB7 pitched against the Hall’s aerobatic plane, tackling the twists and turns of the landmark stretch of road.
To the top of the mountain
To complete the trip, the RB7 made an appearance at Australia’s most famous racetrack, Mount Panorama, home to the annual Bathurst 1000 race.
Here, Ricciardo went head-to-head with Australian Supercars Champion Shane van Gisbergen. The latest Gen3 Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet Camaro was used by van Gisbergen to demonstrate the best lines to take around the challenging Mount Panorama Circuit.
Following his Australian adventure, Ricciardo said: “After my first Red Bull Racing Road Trip in San Francisco, I’ve always wanted the opportunity to do this in Australia.”
He added: “To be back home, taking the RB7 across the Aussie outback, and sharing the best Australia has to offer with the world; what better way to celebrate my first F1 event at home since returning to Oracle Red Bull Racing.”
Watch: Daniel Ricciardo’s homecoming road trip
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