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.

 

[Slyboogy]

That front nose looks strange, what year is that from?

Looks as if it could well be for next year since the front nose has to be lower so we don't get Webber trying to fly again, but then why would they put on next year's front wing?

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Wondering what people think about Red Bull losing the race at Suzuka...

Some are saying that McLaren were able to topple Red Bull at Suzuka even though Suzuka was a "Red Bull" track.

But, to me, Suzuka was more an "RB5" and "RB6" track as opposed to a "Red Bull" track . Obviously the desire for Newey and Co. was to build the RB7 with the prospects of winning at all types of tracks, including circuits like Singapore and Monza (where it was Ferrari/McLaren territoyy in 2010) and Spa.

There would always be some "give and take", then.

The "give" was places like Suzuka (where, according to pundits, McLarens should have been on Pole but for Hamilton not getting in his 2nd run (which ordinarily would have been 0.3 faster as per other Top drivers' 2nd runs in that minute-and-three-quarters or so)).

The "take" has been Spa and Monza where the RB7 found some significant low(er) downforce form vis-a-vis the RB5/6s, all things being equal (which they never are).

So eventhough Vettel was on Pole, the car was never the fastest over 1 single lap in Practice and most of Qualifying.

In addition, it was in some trouble on rear tyres in the race.

Perhaps another part of the "give and take" is tyre deg with the final bit being that McLaren and others are always trying to optimize developments where they were weaker the previous year(s).

 

[Bill Boddy]

....So eventhough Vettel was on Pole, the car was never the fastest over 1 single lap in Practice and most of Qualifying.
....

There's only one part of the first two days of the weekend that counts for anything - Qualifying 3. And that is normally the first part of the weekend that Red Bull show their true potential.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

According to McLaren and other people who earn a living in and from Formula One, had Hamilton gotten his second Q3 run in it would have confirmed McLaren's pace at Suzuka.

That pace was Race-Winning pace. McLaren won the Japanese Grand Prix on pure merit. They had the fastest car at Suzuka last weekend and neither Red Bull car could do anything about it.

The RB7 wasn't fast enough to beat the MP4-26 at Suzuka. Suzuka, therefore, can no longer be classified as "A Red Bull Circuit". Sometimes the end result in Q3 doesn't always tell the whole story and this was one of those times.

 

[KekeTheKing]

I think it was a combination of the ink still drying on Jenson's fat contract and a divine Japanese wind that carried the McLaren to victory at Suzuka. No other explanation will suffice.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Something I found kinda funny from the press conference today (available on the official website)...

Q to Christian Horner: You've used 6 of the 8 available engines so far. Are you going to close the year with 7?

Answer: Well, Renault don't give us a refund so we're planning to use all 8.

 

[Galahad]

Looking at the sector times from both Suzuka and Yeongam, it might now be the time to say that Red Bull's downforce advantage over the rest of the field has finally (after 2+ years) been closed - by McLaren at least.

This more than anything is what encourages me for a competitive season in 2012. The pressure will be on both teams to come up with something special, because at the moment I can't see much to split them.

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Looking at the sector times from both Suzuka and Yeongam, it might now be the time to say that Red Bull's downforce advantage over the rest of the field has finally (after 2+ years) been closed - by McLaren at least.

Yes, and as I suggested in Post # 42, the "give and take" of the RB7 (vs RB5 and RB6) is that the RB7 (especially in relation to McLarens) is much, much more competitive at the fast circuits like Monza and Spa.

Last year McLarens either won or nearly won Spa and Monza whilst RBRs struggled, comparatively speaking.

This year RBRs dismantled McLarens at Spa. RBR also looked like they dismantled McLarens at Monza ... but ... but, eventhough Vettel won, we don't know what would have happened had the McLaren drivers not had poor starts and re-starts thus getting stuck behind Schumacher.

So, yes, the RB7 has come back to (at least) McLaren on the downforce side...but it's no longer got the low downforce disadvantage of the 6 and the 5.

Fun times ahead, inclucing the race early tomorrow!

Exciting!

 

[sportsman]

Next year is a very different scenario.Many people say that there are no significant regulation changes.In my opinion and also in Neweys opinion the exhaust and throttle regulations are quite a major change.
My money is on one of the teams probably Red Bull using the exhaust gases to blow the rear wing due to the fact that the regulations specify periscope exhausts.Something similair to this.

 

[Galahad]

Indeed, although at least the other teams have recent experience of using the exhaust on the lower beam wing (i.e. it isn't 25 years since it was last done!)

It's also reassuring that Red Bull didn't, after all, have any particular aerodynamic 'trick' - or at least if they did, somebody else knows it now.

 

[FB]

Anyone in Milton Keynes on 10th December? Seb and Mark will be doing demo runs close to the shopping centre. Might take a trip out meself.

http://www.redbullracing.com/cs/Sat...firmed-For-UK-December-Event-021243113523076#

 

[The Pits]

Anyone in Milton Keynes on 10th December? Seb and Mark will be doing demo runs close to the shopping centre. Might take a trip out meself.

http://www.redbullracing.com/cs/Sat...firmed-For-UK-December-Event-021243113523076#

I'll be there, as will the lad, mad keen on F1, and gets excited to bursting point when we drive past the factory. He nearly exploded when we saw the lorries pulling out a few days before the Belgian GP.

And of course, I am not excited in the slightest.........

 

[Brogan]

Don't forget to wear a couple of these

 

[Bill Boddy]

Anyone in Milton Keynes on 10th December? Seb and Mark will be doing demo runs close to the shopping centre. Might take a trip out meself.

http://www.redbullracing.com/cs/Sat...firmed-For-UK-December-Event-021243113523076#

I went to Milton Keynes once, finished up very dizzy.

It might be well worth a visit, remind the boss about the shopping centre....

 

[Viscount]

Martin Brundle often likes to mention that a kilo of fuel costs you a tenth per lap. Now I doubt exactlyy the same could be said for driver weight, but surely it must still be somewhat of a factor? I ask as I noticed that Mark Webber's listed as 75Kg compared to Vettel at 64Kg (58 on some sites).

 

[The Pits]

The minimum weight of the car is inclusive of the driver, so apart from distribution issues, there is ko real weight penalty.

Does anyone know if the standard weight distribution is set with or without the driver? I would guess the latter, but im not certain.

 

[Bill Boddy]

....

Does anyone know if the standard weight distribution is set with or without the driver? I would guess the latter, but im not certain.

Since the driver is part of the car as far as the weight is concerned I would assume that in the same way he would ge part of the standard weight distribution. It seems to be commonsense, so I am probably wrong.

 

[RasputinLives]

Interesting question and answer with Mr Marko

Q: Red Bull are nurturing several Formula One talents - so when will we see one of those youngsters in a Red Bull car?

HM:
It’s definitely a nice problem to have - we have four drivers to be considered: Jaime Alguersuari, Sebastien Buemi, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne. Should Mark (Webber) decide to stop then one out of this pool will be promoted. Right now not one of these four has an advantage. It will be decided when the situation arises.

Basically he's saying one of those 4 WILL be the next Red Bull driver - thats quite a bit statement to make with some big name drivers still floating around on the market. He obviously has trust in that pool of 4.

 

[Slyboogy]

Basically he's saying one of those 4 WILL be the next Red Bull driver - thats quite a bit statement to make with some big name drivers still floating around on the market. He obviously has trust in that pool of 4.

Well he does....only because he's picked them. Sure Horner thinks differently, but then, he's already got his star man in Sebastian Vettel.

 

[Bill Boddy]

According to Newey Red Bull are having to go back to the drawing board for next year's car. This is due to the car being designed around the blown diffuser which was an add-on for the other top teams.

Or is it just smoke and mirrors?

http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,,12870_7373837,00.html