RaceFans Round-up: Australian GP ‘will tell me a lot’ about my desire to return

In brief

Ricciardo to make F1 paddock return in Australia

Ricciardo will be Red Bull’s reserve driver for the first time this year at his home race, the Australian Grand Prix, which is the third race of the season.

“I’ll be watching the first race likely on television,” said Ricciardo, who has returned to Red Bull this year after losing his race seat at McLaren. “I think that’ll start to maybe warm up a few feelings and then I’ll be in Melbourne. That’ll be the first race I attend.”

Ricciardo’s absence from the first two grands prix means Liam Lawson will likely be called up to be reserve driver for those events.

“Being around the whole atmosphere and the noise, the sound, like the smell, all of it [will have an impact],” Ricciardo added on what it will be mean to be back at the track in Melbourne.

“That’ll probably do what it does, and whether I’m stoked and excited and wanting to get back or whatever, I’m just kind of happy being a fan for a bit longer, we’ll see. But I think I think Melbourne will probably tell me quite a lot.”

Red Bull sponsorship almost sold out

World champions Red Bull are running out of sponsorship opportunities to sell, according to a report. “We have many partners and we want to ensure we’re delivering for all our partners with a high level of service and activation,” the team’ commercial director Nick Stocker told Sports Business Journal, “so it comes to a point where we actually have to say, ‘The shop is shut and we have enough partners for the team.’

“But luckily we’re not yet in that position – we have a few more to sell in the market.”

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Indy Nxt grid grows to 18 cars

Indy Nxt, the primary support series to IndyCar, has grown to 18 full-time entries for 2023 in a big shift for the category. In recent years it has struggled to reach 15 drivers doing the full season, and the 2020 season was cancelled due a combination of a lack of entries and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The latest addition to the 2023 grid is Colin Kaminsky, who comes up from the USF Pro 2000 series and will race for the Abel Motorsports team.

Former Renault sponsor joins McLaren

DP World, the title sponsor of the Renault F1 team in 2020, has partnered with McLaren this year.

The Emirati multinational…