Red Bull F1 conducted a demonstration run of the F1 machine at the Mount Panorama Circuit, famous for the Bathurst 12 Hours race in February. It may be the first job for Daniel Ricciardo, who was appointed as the third driver.
Red Bull will participate in the season opener of the Intercontinental GT Challenge with off-track and on-track activities.
This includes an F1 demonstration lap of the iconic Mount Panorama Circuit by the RB7 used for the 2011 F1 World Championship.
The driver for the F1 demonstration run will be officially announced in the new year, but it is likely that the new third driver Daniel Ricciardo, including commercial activities, will be in charge.
Western Australian Daniel Ricciardo made little secret of his admiration for Bathurst and his desire to experience the circuit first hand.
The Red Bull run will see the cars and drivers open to the public as part of a display in the Bathurst 12 Hours Paddock.
“Red Bull are the current F1 world champions. It was an honor just to have them at the event, but knowing that the Red Bull F1 car will be circling Mount Panorama is something else,” said Bathurst 12 Hours event director. ‘s Shane Ruzis said.
“It will be a spectacle unlike anything we’ve seen in the last 12 hours and will take the event to a whole new level.”
“This will be the best opportunity for Australian F1 fans to see F1 cars up close in 2023, and an even rarer opportunity to see F1 cars lap Mount Panorama.”
Red Bull has done promotional activities in Australia, and Daniel Ricciardo has driven Red Bull’s F1 machine twice in his hometown of Perth. The second time was at the 2015 Perth Speed Fest, driving his RB7 through the city streets.
Mark Webber laps the Sydney Motorsport Park in his RB7 at the 2013 Top Gear Festival.
As for F1 cars at Mount Panorama, Jenson Button holds the unofficial lap record for the circuit. It is 1 minute 48 seconds 8 seconds set in McLaren MP4-23 in 2011.
It was part of a Vodafone promotion and supercar legend Craig Lowndes was also lap after lap in his McLaren, just one second behind Jenson Button’s best time.
The 2023 Bathurst 12 Hours will take place February 3-5.
