Red Bull F1 car races fighter jet

Last weekend was one of highs and lows for Red Bull F1 newbie Daniel Ricciardo.

The affable Aussie finished second on his Grand Prix debut in his home race in Melbourne, but was later disqualified after his RB10 was deemed to have exceeded the maximum permitted fuel-flow rate.

But before using just a bit too much fuel out on track, it seems Ricciardo found time to induge his inner Top Gear,blasting his Red Bull around an airfield… in a race against the Australian military’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet.

The Hornet generates around 36,000 pounds of thrust and boasts a top speed around 1200mph. Ricciardo’s F1 car makes about 760bhp, with a top speed in the region of 230mph depending on trim.

A foregone conclusion, you might have thought: but remember the Hornet is manifestly lacking in functioning MGU-H and MGU-K hybrid modules. As, you might cruelly note, are several of the cars on the F1 grid.

OK, so the video’s a touch cheesy-promotional, but worth a look just to watch how rapidly two of the world’s most dedicated pieces of go-faster machinery accelerate from a standing stand.

And to confirm our suspicions that D-Ric seems like a thoroughly nice bloke indeed.

Now, racing a fast car against a fighter jet. Where could Red Bull possibly have got that idea?