Written by Vyas Ponnuri
After nearly nine months, the world will finally get to witness Sebastian Vettel driving a Formula One car. Yes, Vettel will be driving a Formula One car around the twists and turns of the famous 20.832 km (12.944 mi) long Nurburgring North Loop (famously known as the Nordschleife).
To make it sweeter, he will be driving his championship-winning Red Bull RB7 around the fearsome racetrack. The car is a special one for Vettel, as it brought him his second world championship, a dominant season for the then reigning champion.
Joining forces with him will be another of Formula One’s most loved drivers, Daniel Ricciardo. While he is a third driver for Red Bull this season, he is also slated to take part in special promotional events on behalf of Red Bull.
The Australian will be driving the Red Bull RB8, the car that took Vettel to his third world championship, during one of Formula One’s most closely contested seasons. Vettel managed to win the title by a slender margin of three points in the season finale that year, held at Brazil, in one of his, and motorsport’s finest comeback drives. Vettel drove a damaged Red Bull to come back to sixth by the chequered flag in that tense finale, having been facing the wrong way at turn four on lap one, following a tangle with Bruno Senna’s Williams.
The announcement of Vettel taking part in this event had also been teased by Red Bull Germany on Instagram earlier in the day, showcasing his iconic helmet in a post, sending fans into a tizzy, keeping them guessing as to what the announcement would be. Sure enough, the fans' prayers were answered with the announcement of the event.
Speaking of the event, it is a demo run of both cars on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, slated to take place on September 9th and 10th. Ricciardo and Vettel will be joined by two other drivers during the two-day event. The cars will be powered by e-fuels as well.
This will be the first time Formula One cars will be seen roaring around the “Green Hell”, the first time in a decade. The last time an F1 car roared around the Eifel hills was in 2013, when Michael Schumacher powered around the track in the Mercedes W02, in what would be his final appearance in a Formula One car.
BMW-Sauber also ran the first-ever car taking part under this moniker, the F1.06, around the Nordschleife, with Nick Heidfeld at the wheel on that day. The German drove three laps around the track, although not at full pace.
Mark your calendars for September 9th and 10th, to witness this amazing spectacle, and listen to the V8 F1 engines roaring around one of motor racing’s oldest, and most spectacular race tracks.
Couple of Ex-F1 drivers driving cars nearly 15 years old on a circuit they didn't run on in period and cannot today without about 2ft of ground clearance due to the poor surface and using the kind of revs my own road car can all day because they can't risk an engine failure.... can't wait to see it, should be great 🙄.
As you say in your piece, Red Bull PR moment - only that.