From beaches to outback: Ricciardo’s Australian road trip ahead of F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne

Australian Formula One driver and Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo made a thrilling return to the Oracle Red Bull Racing cockpit ahead of the upcoming Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. To get a feel for the unique conditions of his home country, Ricciardo took the championship-winning RB7 F1 car on a road trip across some of Australia’s most challenging terrains. The trip was aimed at mastering the harsh conditions and gaining an edge over their competitors. Here’s all you need to know:

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Oracle Red Bull Racing sent Ricciardo on an off-track road trip across Australia to master the uniquely Australian conditions, from the beaches to the outback. The RB7 Road Trip navigated through iconic Australian locations, from Broken Hill to Sea Cliff Bridge, to the home of Australian Supercars in Bathurst.

The team invited local racing experts, Supercars champion Shane Van Gisbergen, enduro motorsports legends Toby Price and Daniel Sanders, and aerobatic pilot Matt Hall to help Ricciardo test the car under Australia’s toughest conditions.

The road trip began in the Wild West before heading to a cattle station in the outback, where Daniel Sanders taught Ricciardo how to navigate the famous Aussie bull dust. A quick pitstop in the outback city of Broken Hill followed before Ricciardo met aerobatic pilot Matt Hall at the iconic Sea Cliff Bridge on NSW’s south coast for a true-blue test of handling corners.

“There’s nothing that compares to the Aussie conditions; we had a lot of fun ripping through the outback and tearing across the Sea Cliff Bridge,” Ricciardo said.

The trip ended at Australia’s most famous racetrack, Mount Panorama. Shane Van Gisbergen led the RB7 around the track in his Red Bull Ampol Camaro, giving the dominant F1 car a taste of Australia’s most treacherous circuit.

Ricciardo said, “After my first Red Bull Racing Road Trip in San Francisco, I’ve always wanted to do this in Australia.” He continued, “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.”

The Oracle Red Bull Racing team will compete at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix from 30 March to 2 April 2023. Ricciardo is excited to get back in front of a home crowd at Albert Park, saying: “Aussie fans always bring a lot of energy, and I’m excited to see the F1 fans in Melbourne. The track looks great, and I’m hoping our road trip research gives the team the edge they need.”

Oracle Red Bull Racing Road Trips have crisscrossed the globe from the USA to the Netherlands, South Africa, the Czech Republic, and now down under to Australia, with Daniel’s homecoming trip taking place ahead of his first Australian Grand Prix since rejoining the team last year.

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