Current Red Bull Racing

Red Bull Racing

FIA Entry: Red Bull Racing Renault
Car 1: Sebastien Vettel
Car 2: Mark Webber
Engine: Renault V8
Team Owner: Dietrich Mateschitz
Team Principal: Christian Horner
Chief Technical: Office Adrian Newey
Chief Designer: Rob Marshall
Race Engineer Car 1: Guillaume “Rocky” Rocquelin
Race Engineer Car 2: Ciaron Pilbeam

Stats as of end 2010

First Entered 2005
Races Entered 107
Race Wins 15
Pole Positions 20
Fastest Laps 12
Driver World Championships 1
Constructor World Championships 1

Team History

Before Red Bull

In 1997 Paul Stewart, aided by his father Jackie and the Ford Motor Company, made the leap from F3000 to F1 as an entrant. Jonny Herbert won 1 race for the Stewart team before it was sold off to Ford who re-branded the cars as Jaguar.

Ford stuck with it through thick and thin (mainly thin) through to the end of 2004 before selling the team to Dietrich Mateschitz, who owns the Red Bull drinks brand, for $1 on the understanding he invested $400 million over 3 years

Red Bull Racing

With Christian Horner installed as team principal, McLaren refugee David Coulthard and Christian Klien as the drivers Red Bull went racing. Their first season was certainly more successful than Jaguar had managed, even with the same Cosworth power plant, with Coulthard managing a 4th place at the European Grand Prix and the team finishing 7th in the Constructors Championship.

Adrian Newey joined from McLaren as chief designer for 2006 and Red Bull swapped to Ferrari engines. Coulthard managed a podium at his "home" race in Monaco prompting Christian Horner to jump naked, other than wearing a red cape, into a swimming pool.

Christian Klien, who shared the car with Vitantonio Liuzzi in 2005 and Robert Doornbos in 2006, departed the team for 2007 and was replaced by Mark Webber. The RB3 was the first full "Newey" car and was coupled with a Renault motor. The car was very unreliable, suffering from a variety of different problems but Webber managed a podium at the European Grand Prix and the team finished 5th in the WCC.

Retaining the same engine and drivers for 2008 Red Bull slipped back to 7th in the WCC and again only managed a single podium, for Coulthard in Canada, but the reliability issues which plagued the car the previous season were mainly resolved.

2009 was Red Bull's break through year. With Coulthard having retired Webber was joined by Red Bull junior driver Sebastien Vettel. The new rules allowed Newey to design a car which challenged for both the Drivers and Constructors Championship. Webber won 2 races, Vettel 4 and the team climbed to 2nd in WCC taking 3 pole positions en-route.

In 2010 Red Bull justified Mateschitz's investment winning the Constructors title and Vettel the Drivers Championship. They won 9 races through the season, 5 for Vettel and 4 for Webber and took 10 poles. Webber led the title race for much of the season but it was the 23 year old Vettel who stole the title in the last race of the season and became the youngest Champion as a result.

2011 sees the team retain the same driver line up as 2010 and continue with Renault engine power in the new RB7 car.

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

After this weekends result it's only right that i say this.

Red Bull does give you wins .

 

[Slyboogy]

That was good yet bad!

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

I know , sorry I couldn't resist it though had to get the words right out of my mouth.

 

[Slyboogy]

I've heard worse

 

[RasputinLives]

Anyone else think that with it looking more and more likely that Vettel is off to Ferrari to partner Alonso in 2014 that actually the big losers after today's news are Red Bull?

If Vettel does go for 2014 with Alonso tied up at Ferrari until 2017 and Lewis now on board with Merc who is there for them to snap up? Button is unlikely, Kimi also seems like a short term solution and neither of their Toro Rosso boys look ready as of yet. Leaves them fishing in the market I think.

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

Too early to say... I think WDC's heals any youthful friction a driver might have with a team... Vettel could well be a triple WDC by years end... and who knows at the end of 2013... he could have four titles...

 

[Brogan]

I agree RasputinLives, I think I already commented on that (unless I forgot).

In 2014 when all the rule changes come into effect and teams will arguably need at least one driver familiar with the old car, Red Bull are going to have two rookies, as far as driving for Red Bull is concerned.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Will they even have Newey? I'm not sure what contract he is on but without the Wunderkid driving his cars will he be tempted to go elsewhere? Ferrari could afford his £10 million a year salary, I think Merc could also justify it.

Would a Brawn-Newey-Hamilton combo be too much? Or alternatively - Alonso-Vettel-Newey I don't rate Domenicali as a team boss.

 

[Galahad]

Ferrari have been trying to get Newey for 20 years, I'd be amazed if he changed his mind now. In fact I'd be surprised if Red Bull isn't his last F1 team.

 

[Slyboogy]

I wouldn't be surprised if Raikkonen goes to Red Bull if Vettel leaves, they were his personal sponsor when he first joined, then went to Rallying, and he's been linked with them for quite a few years.

With both drivers looking as if they're leaving by 2014, it does leave them in a pickle though.

(side note, a Raikkonen and Buemi team would be awesome for me! )

 

[Brogan]

Something which hardly anyone has noticed but Red Bull are now running a DDRS on their rear wing and have been since Singapore.

That probably explains their recent upturn in performance.

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/10/red-bull-double-drs-revealed-in-suzuka/

 

[Brogan]

A strange comment from Horner regarding being "snubbed" by FOTA because Red Bull weren't invited to the latest meeting.

Horner seems to have forgotten that he chose to leave FOTA last year, so why the hell would they invite him?

Perhaps it's just me but Horner seems to get more arrogant every time he opens his mouth; perhaps he considers Red Bull to be the Ferrari equivalent these days?

 

[The Pits]

Because they invited Sauber and Ferrari?

 

[Brogan]

Were they invited or did they choose to attend?

Regardless, Horner has repeatedly made clear his contempt for FOTA and their aims such as the RRA.

It's quite simple, if he wants to be invited, join FOTA again.

 

[teabagyokel]

Laps led since 2009 Australian Grand Prix:

 

[Il_leone]

Horner has always defended Red Bull are within the RRA but they quit FOTA so what does he expect

Also there are other simmering rows over the holes in the floor which apparently Ferrari changed their car but Red Bull did not until they were absolutely clear it was illegal..they got their fingers burned last time for failing to interpret the double diffusers rule properly in 2009 .

Max Mosley just told them " There is no spirit within the rules "when they wanted to protest about the DD cars

Also Red Bull seems to be the car that is targeted more often to handicap... but this was predicted that another political row would start once FOTA were beginning to crack

--------------

On the note about Vettel and Ferrari - its not a binding agreement yet ! So there won;t be any lawsuits if Seb decides to sign and does a U -turn.

Would Red Bull be the same ? Difficult to say because the team wants to promote youthfulness and therefore would look at their Toro Rosso drivers which Marko has been desperately trying to praise to boot out Webber....he has to wait for another year to try again

JEV and Riccardo suppose to be future world champions..off the current crop on the grid somehow Rosberg's name was mentioned given he is out of contract next year as well

I don;t think they would risk Kubica is he were to come back...Button I think is in a 3 year contract at Mclaren but recently they seem to have this option of 2 years with an option for 3rd year policy so he may consider

I think Red Bull keeping Newey will be critical in deciding the driver market for the top drivers.

Red Bull at least will have Renault commitment being the full factory Renault team

 

[ExtremeNinja]

TBH Newey is the only thing I like about Red Bull so there goes!

This made me think about what Red Bull is without Newey and then made me think of Red Bull's wider operations. What is immediately obvious is that they have multiple campaigns in various different enthusiast niche sports. As some of you may know, I used to ride BMX at a highly competitive level. At some point whilst I was competing Red Bull started showing up with stalls, huge inflatable promos, riders would be wearing Red Bull helmets. Now Red Bull run competitions, have full teams with riders around the globe, the have private jams, spending beyond what the BMX industry itself can afford. This is only my personal experience but if you go on to look at F1, a host of extreme winter and summer sports, the skydiving and everything else you will see that they have changed or are changing the landscape for every sport they touch. It is debatable as to whether it is for the good or the bad but it is very tangible and it is certainly progressive. By targeting these progressive niche sports and adopting an approach of both spreading themselves wide and thickly they are able to simply grab hold of these institutions and go about Red-Bull-ifying them.

It's absolutely astonishing to me and, whilst in awe, I am not sure whether to admire them or fear them.

 

[Incubus]

Yes. Basically Red Bull rule the world. Scary prospect. Especially when you think theyt are just a soft drinks company selling a rancid-tasting carbonated liquid muck.

 

[Brogan]

Off topic but pleased to say I've never tasted Red Bull, or any of the other similar drinks available.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Where did you get those big red wings from then? Caught red-handedwinged!