Ricciardo returns to F1 action with entertaining Nashville demo run

Daniel Ricciardo has jumped back into the cockpit of a Formula 1 car ahead of his anticipated return to racing in a week’s time, wowing some 30,000 fans in Nashville, Tennessee as part of a special Red Bull show run.

AlphaTauri driver Ricciardo suffered a broken metacarpal in his left hand during a practice crash at the Dutch Grand Prix back in August, forcing him to undergo surgery to repair the damage and keeping him out of the last five races.

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However, having recently turned some laps in Red Bull’s simulator, the 34-year-old Australian is expected to make his comeback during next weekend’s United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas.

As a final step before that anticipated return, Ricciardo gave an enthusiastic crowd gathered in the Lower Broadway area of Nashville a spectacular show with a series of demo runs and donuts.

Rather than his current AlphaTauri, Ricciardo got behind the wheel of Red Bull’s RB7 from 2011, a machine driven by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber to both world titles that season.

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“Driving here in Nashville on Broadway was pretty wild,” said Ricciardo after Saturday’s action. “Broadway is normally wild in itself but especially today! It was cool to put on a show for everyone.”