Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, Albert Park, 2023

Ricciardo to drive Red Bull F1 car on the Nurburgring Nordschleife

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In the round-up: Red Bull’s third driver Daniel Ricciardo has been confirmed as the driver who will be behind the wheel when the team takes a F1 car to the Nurburgring Nordschleife at September’s Nurburgring 12 Hours race.

In brief

Ricciardo revealed as the driver for Red Bull’s landmark Nordschleife trip

Red Bull’s demonstration run will mark the first time an F1 car has been driven on the legendary 21 kilometre circuit since a decade ago when Michael Schumacher drove a 2011 Mercedes W02 for a single lap of the track. Six years prior to that, Nick Heidfeld drove BMW Sauber’s 2006 car in a demonstration run.

While Ricciardo rejoined Red Bull this year in the hope of making it back on to the F1 grid in the future, his main responsibility has been as a demo driver and has already driven an old Red Bull’s RB7 car from 2011 in an Australian road trip this year. His Nordschleife run will take place on 9th September.

Hamilton explains struggles behind his first year with Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton admitted he struggled in his first season at Mercedes due to their use of Front-and-Rear Interconnected Suspension on their W04 car. The sophisticated FRIC systems used several teams became increasingly complicated and Mercedes was believed to have the most advanced system on the grid.

However a technical directive outlawed such systems during the 2014 season. Hamilton said he “struggled with the car” during his first year at Mercedes. “We had some sort of a different type of suspension that I’d never had before, and I was struggling like crazy with it,” he said in a video released by the team.

“But we eventually did get a win.” That came in the Hungarian Grand Prix, the tenth race of the season, and only one more podium followed that year. “This [win] was really, if there were any doubts about the decisions, whether or not you’re right or wrong [joining Mercedes], I think this was a confirmation that it was the right step,” Hamilton added.

McLaren reveal Kanaan’s Indy 500 livery

McLaren Indianapolis 500 liveries
McLaren Indianapolis 500 liveries

Following last week’s ‘Triple Crown’-inspired Indianapolis 500 livery reveal for their three full-time IndyCar entries, McLaren have now unveiled the livery that Tony Kanaan will use for the race.

Kanaan will pilot a fourth car for the team in a one-off appearance, having done the same for Chip Ganassi Racing last season. The 48-year-old was IndyCar champion in 2004, won the Indy 500 in 2013, and has only been contesting oval races in the series since 2020.

The primary colour of Kanaan’s 2023 car will be black, with papaya detailing including a star that wraps itself over the cockpit area when viewed from above. He will drive number 66.

“I’ve been eager to see this livery and it does not disappoint,” said Kanaan. “It’s one of the best-looking cars I’ve ever been in and representing the history of the Triple Crown makes it even more special.”

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Comment of the day

F1’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix is scheduled for 18th November this year, but its Autumn date may pose a challenge to spectators – if they’re in the grandstands rather than the indoor VIP hospitality – due to the weather that can be expected at that time of year.

I was in Vegas last year just before Halloween.

It was absolutely freezing with a dusting of snow at Grand Canyon and Bryce. There wasn’t snow in Vegas but a very strong, very cold wind and evening temperatures of about 3C. The wind actually hurt your skin because it bought so much sand with it. I was actually uncomfortable to be outside.

As for the city, that evening I watched a old man holding a yard of cocktail vomit in the street while paying a girl who was shivering in a bikini to pose for a photo with him. Very classy.

F1 in Vegas is going to be an absolute mess. The weather in late autumn is very unpredictable and the city itself is really poorly set up to handle adverse conditions.
Hucumber

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Jacob and Apoorvb Bajpai!

On this day in motorsport

  • 20 years ago today Michael Schumacher won the San Marino Grand Prix, the day after the death of his mother

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Author information

Ida Wood
Often found in junior single-seater paddocks around Europe doing journalism and television commentary, or dabbling in teaching photography back in the UK. Currently based...

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11 comments on “Ricciardo to drive Red Bull F1 car on the Nurburgring Nordschleife”

  1. Ricciardo’s “landmark” lap of the Nordschleife will likely be driven in such a manner that a couple of performance sedans bristling with cameras, along with a drone or 2, will be able to easily keep pace with him for the required dramatic (highly edited) footage that RB will be using for advertising purposes. Yawn.

    1. imagine complaining about something that still has to happen, with zero actual knowledge about it, except guesswork

      1. Its the most likely scenario but, just like the bathurst lap a couple weeks back. It certainly wont be what porsche did with the lemans car.

  2. That cold-ish pre-Halloween evening must’ve been a one-off as evening hours are generally (except for tropical climate locations such as Southeast Asia & Florida) only a little cooler than the warmest phase, i.e., midday to afternoon, at max 5 degrees, so if the highest daytime ambient is 13-15 & the lowest in the night hours 3-6, the late evening would usually about halfway between.

  3. I hope it’s a proper lap but i wont hold my breath.

    I recall Riccardo saying he wont do ovals in indycar because of the danger, I cant imagine a shunt in a F1 car at the green hell would be any safer.

    1. It depends. Ovals are hi-speed only and the concrete wall is near all the time. Nordschleiffe has only several hi-speed area’s where it’s smart the thing not to overdo it.

  4. That video about the Las Vegas race is pretty depressing. There is so little to say about the track itself or the driving challenge that he spends the whole time naming hotels and tickets prices.
    His conclusions are revealing : “one of the biggest spectacles we’ve ever seen in Las Vegas”.

    1. A bit harsh!!!
      This is Las Vegas in the good ol’ US of A. It’s more about the spectacle. With all the traffic and the reporter does not appear to be a F1 nut, as an opener that is acceptable to me. At least one can get an idea what is behind the stands etc, before the barriers & advertising hordings go up. Hopefully we will get a ‘sim’ drive to see??

      Vividly recall the last time F1 was in town for the Ceasar’s Palace GP [1981???], the race was literally in a carpark and the whole thing looked awfully like a go-kart set-up. Absolute YUK!!!!!
      Alledgely Alan Jones’ [1980 WDC] comments on the track were unprintable!!

    2. I’ve always hated Vegas with a passion. It appeals to certain types. Mostly elderly people who like playing slots and businessmen who like to go to conventions there to get away from the wife and hire prostitutes. When I think of a “spectacle” that fits with F1’s brand, I think of a race in NYC, the Bay Area, etc. Downtown Chicago would be much more spectacular with one of the most beautiful skylines.

  5. I’m staying reserved but excited to see what RB produces at the Nurburgring… Hopefully he can give it the beans in some areas. Get the Danny Mojo :)

  6. What were the Schumacher and rosberg times … Just for a rough guide

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