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.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Not much point in that if the bloody wheel doesn't go on properly though Brogan

 

[KekeTheKing]

Somebody had to say it

 

[Mephistopheles]

Yep

 

[Il_leone]

Mateschitz has come out and said Webber is a candidate along with the STR drivers and KImi who is out contract if I am right
At least he's been diplomatic about it

I find it odd that Kimi has not driven for Red Bull in F1 despite being sponsored by them

Also I remember when he first came into F1 Red Bull were not happy Peter Sauber chose Kimi over their preferred choice Bernoldi and they subsequently withdraw some backing into Sauber and backed Arrows

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Here's that 2.05 stop.

!

 

[RasputinLives]

Antonio Felix Da Costa is now the man hoping Mark Webber stomps off from Red Bull this weekend as he's been promoted to their reserve driver.

From what I've seen of him he does look very handy and I suspect we'll see him in F1 sooner rather than later.

 

[Brogan]

In a bid to avoid the same on and off track drama at future Grands Prix, the Milton Keynes-based squad is set to allow its drivers to race without team instructions.

"Team orders won't be given by us anymore," Marko explained to Germany's Sport Bild, having stated directly after the race that internal discussions would be held.

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/292836/red-bull-will-no-longer-give-team-orders/

 

[Viscount]

Well that's a joke, whether they really intend to do that, or more likely just their PR response to what happened in Malaysia.

It does make Christian Horner seem a bit weaker in my opinion if that's their solution, with the added fact that it's Helmut Marko announcing the team's new philosophy.

 

[The Pits]

So, in short, nothing will change, other than the fact that the team on the pit wall will not waste their breath giving orders which they know neither driver will follow.

As you were everyone!

 

[Mephistopheles]

Until the first time they crash into each other when fighting for the lead and the team loses 43 constructors points I wonder how much money 43 points is worth...

 

[Fenderman]

It must be embarrassing to have said "The team will have a word because we have to control the drivers," and "It’s not like at Mercedes where it’s a clear number one. We treat the drivers the same." ... and to somewhat later find oneself saying "Team orders won't be given by us anymore."

I wonder if Marko has a poker face or perhaps it will be somewhat red for a while.

Of course it begs the question, just how will they avoid the necessity for some "direction" if and when the WDC for one of their blokes depends on their co-operation?

More embarrassment to come following contrived pit stop errors, mysterious technical failures and unusually poor strategy calls, methinks

 

[Slyboogy]

Antonio Felix Da Costa is now the man hoping Mark Webber stomps off from Red Bull this weekend as he's been promoted to their reserve driver.

Wait, what?!

What happens to my main man Moose?!

 

[RasputinLives]

Moose is off racing elsewhere this weekend Sly. He'll be reserve again in Bahrain.

Da Costa is usually Toro Rosso reserve but this weekend he's both.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Well he bloody would do wouldn't he?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106624

knob ed

 

[GermanF1]

Vettel now said he would do it again. I'm so glad the season just started. So much more mayhem, craziness and embarassment from Red Bull to comeI really see this ending in tears...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/22106490

 

[siffert_fan]

The way Nico keeps bringing up the team orders from Merc, it doesn't seem like he is any too happy either! I wouldn't count on him playing nice if it happens again.

Team orders, especially so early in the season, are disruptive for the rest of the season and have huge potential to completely destroy any semblance of team harmony.

 

[F1ang-o]

Off topic but Nico answers questions about team orders, not quite the same as bringing it up.

 

[Fenderman]

... and continues to confirm that whatever instructions the team give are consistent with both drivers having equal status. The idea that any team does not use team orders is ludicrous. Any instruction from the pit to the driver to do something is a team order. If the team tells the driver to push on an in-lap, that's a team order and it is legal. The crux of the issue is "driver status". As we now know Rosberg's contract ensures parity with Hamilton. If either driver behaves like a petulant child then so be it we can knock them when that happens. Thus far their behaviour has been adult and professional. Most people grow with experience so it would be somewhat surprising if they were to regress.

Vettel hasn't come out of this too well but actually it is more the Red Bull team's fault for their clumsiness in handling the situation. It is notable that the latest statements from the team are clarifying what they mean by "no longer applying team orders" . Insofar as they will continue to instruct their drivers they are saying that orders of the kind that confer some kind of favouritism will not be given unless points depend on it. Perhaps that still leaves plenty of scope for manipulation but that's the nature of any team enterprise.

As for Mercedes as a team, we have yet to see any real signs that they are less than honourable in the way they do business. Again, until such time as that changes I for one see no cause to knock them. In fact I would apply what I have just written to the vast majority of the people inside the sport. Shame that can't be said for some of the folk's who sit on their bums like me who only spectate and ruminate about it.

 

[cider_and_toast]

The question is, what do they do if Seb does it again?

The most likely outcome of any attempt to pass Mark after a hold order has been issued is both drivers ending up in the kitty litter and who would be the one to blame for that? Mark of course because he would be the one seen as trying to block the pass. As a result of this, Seb is in a win win situation. Webber can hardly cut his nose off to spite his face by walking out of the door and Vettel knows that he is going to be in the car next year and that at the moment RBR need him more than they need Mark.

I think in this case, the right option is for the team to say, right fella's, stuff your relationship, it's winner takes all and get on with it. Fail to bring a car home through your own dumb driving and expect to see a sudden dip in your wages for that weekend but failing that, sort it out on the track.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

cider_and_toast

He can't disobey an order if there aren't any and Red Bull have come out and said that there will be no more team orders this season. I think any team orders at Red Bull will come from Vettel to Christian rather than vice versa.