Ricciardo not yet in action for Red Bull Racing after all

Soon, the Bathurst 12 Hours is scheduled where Red Bull Racing will be present with the RB7 for a demo run. It is the perfect opportunity for Daniel Ricciardo to see action for the first time as the team's third driver, but it seems the Australian will not be present after all.

During the weekend of the 12 Hours of Bathurst, Red Bull has planned a demo run with the RB7, the car Sebastian Vettel won the championship with in 2011. As Red Bull's new third driver, it is a great opportunity for Ricciardo to be in action for his new team for the first time in 2023, especially as the circuit is in his home country.

Red Bull captured Ricciardo not only for his talent, but also because of the commercial demands on Formula 1 teams. The 33-year-old driver will therefore mainly be used for marketing activities, Christian Horner revealed earlier.

Ricciardo not yet in action for Red Bull

Speedcafe.com however, has learned that Ricciardo is unavailable over the weekend of 3-5 February. The Australian will therefore not be present to drive the RB7. Liam Lawson thus seems the most likely option as the team's reserve driver. Lawson has already had the opportunity to drive the RB7 once before at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2021.

The RB7 is not the only world champion who will be on display at Bathurst. MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi has made the switch to car racing this year and will compete in the event on behalf of BMW.