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.

 

[The Pits]

I think that there is a HUGE difference between bending the regulations and flagrantly breaking them.

For example, with clever carbon layup etc, Red Bull have been able to make wings which flex, yet pass the tests applied. This is bending the rules which state that all bodywork must be fixed.

As I understand it, the current breach was basically a sprung hinge (I believe the term used was "Leaf Spring") so no attempt to meet the regulation, and also, no real way that this can be construed as anything other than an outright cheat.

I am sure that there are many examples of each (McLarens own "Dropping wing" in 2011 springs(!) to mind) but there is a massive difference between stretching the rules and cheating IMHO.

 

[Kewee]

I wasn't suggesting a team wasn't cheating, just quoting one of the sports leading team principles and also one of the sports sharpest minds. The essence of what Ross Brawn went on to say was you have to search for loopholes and exploit them and loopholes are often a question of interpretation. Sometimes an interpretation is considered to be very clever but everyone protests, then when it's past by the FIA everyone copies it, if it doesn't pass they're called cheats. The intention is not to cheat, just to search for an interpretation that can give them an edge.

 

[The Pits]

I agree you search for loopholes, and ways that regulations can be twisted.

In short.

We need to try and make our wings bend without breaking the flex tests.

Answer 1 - Make bendy carbon fibre which can flex the right way under Aero load, rather than static load. Well done, rule strectched.

Answer 2 - Why not just use a hinge? rule broken. Cheating.

I am fairly sure that the kind of that Ross Brawn is referring to is the first point, rather than the second. Similar to the BAR hidden fuel reservoir.

And I fully believe that there are many who set out in an attempt to cheat, or circumvent the rules without getting caught.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Strangely the stewards checked the data in the BAR saga and found that the car had not been underweight at any time in the race. The test procedure was broken, but not the rule.

 

[teabagyokel]

My answer is always the same, if you don't like it or understand that aspect of F1, go watch Rugby or Cricket, they're less complicated.

Ha ha, which is why we have biomechanical laboratories engaged to measure whether someone can bowl without their elbows flexing 15 degrees...

And I'm convinced Jonah Lomu was an illegal piece of equipment.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Just on that point, can someone explain why Red Bull are so disliked? Is it because they have come in and upset the accepted order in F1? Christian Horner does no more or less than any other TP on the grid and, in fact, is probably more open to questions than many. It's not his fault journo's ask him things and he always gives a full answer which is more than many do.

For me, I don't hate Red Bull as a team in the slightest. Daniel Ricciardo has provided a breath of fresh air this season in breaking the Mercedes hold on the top step. Seeing that huge Aussie grin and the sheer joy of a first time winner was really refreshing and reminded me of the first few times Seb hit the top step.

I will freely admit I can't stand Horner. I appreciate what you've said about his media work however, it seems like every race weekend through every session it's "and let's go and have a few words with Christian Horner" followed by the usual bland as hell, corperate friendly, Red Bull PR approved answers.

The other thing is, Bernie's special trick is to identify the teams that are on the crest of a financial and performance wave, isolate them from the pack and buy them into his "vision" for the sport. Red Bull were, as has been widely reported in the press, the spanner in any works to bring some sort of control over the sport that would benefit everyone.

Before them of course, it was Ferrari. What Red Bull don't seem to consider is that after a couple of years of relatively poor performances (by their current standards) they will be dropped from Bernie's inner circle like your standard issue hot brick. Let's face it, how often do we hear about Ferrari contriving some new rule change or getting away with some action on or off the track in a dubious manor?

Another aspect is that everyone hates a winner. While they were on the way up, it was fun to support a team that were challenging the top boys. Four in a row and people start to get bored and wonder who is going to take them on in a fight. That is in some ways a natural reaction in any sport. When one team wins the 90 percent of the remainder of that sports fan base who don't follow them will have something to say about that. The more the winning streak goes on, the more the non fans will shout about it.

I think you also make a good point when you talk about the commercial drinks brand. Strangely enough, Benetton were never really effected by this as they began at a time when the motorsport fan base was different. But, for the "petrol heads" there is no link to a motorsport element. The team name is a caffine drink and they're racing Renault engines. There's no real history or back story to the team. They bought out Jaguar, spent the kind of money that Ford were never prepared to invest to become successful, achieved everything they wanted in the sport and then did it all over gain. Suddenly that puts them in the big 5.
As I said elsewhere, Sauber have been banging away at F1 since the early 90's in a virtually unchanged team and get nothing extra for their endeavours. Red Bull spend a lot to get a little back at F1's top table.

I really hope they can build a car that provides Daniel with a fighting chance next year. It could be that Seb left one season too early but then I guess you only get on chance to join Ferrari and that's what he wanted to do. The stepping back of Adrian Newey will affect the team and I think they'll admit that themselves so given that this is almost certainly the last car he's going to have a fullish hand in I just hope they can get the best out of it.

As far as I'm concerned there's nothing wrong with Red Bull but I do hope we see less of Horner next year.

 

[Kewee]

But, for the "petrol heads" there is no link to a motorsport element. The team name is a caffine drink and they're racing Renault engines.

They have the greatest link of all to motorsports history, Renault won the very first GP in 1906, way before the modern era even began.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Yeah, cause given the choice between a Lotus, a Ferrari or a Renault, I'd pick the Renault everytime

 

[Kewee]

I wasn't making a choice between teams. Which team is the most successful was not the point. You suggested Red Bull had no link to motorsports history and included Renault in your statement, I simply pointed out that Renault, being the sports first GP winner in 1906 gave them a very strong link to the sports history, something you didn't appear to realise.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I wasn't talking about the teams either. I was talking about brand image. Yes I fully understand Renault's involvement in the earliest GP races. I am aware it was a French Government response to the Gorden Bennett races and a way of pushing French built cars.

What I am saying is that as a brand image for those people who follow F1 and are lovers of Modern cars, what would they want? An Enzo, an Elise or a Clio?

 

[Bushi]

I think you can better ask what can they afford?

 

[teabagyokel]

Bushi - Its not about what they can afford, it is an aspirational thing. It is possible to aspire to have a Mercedes, Ferrari, Lotus or McLaren for a petrolhead, but any Joe Soap could end up with a Renault and even more people could go down the shop and grab a can of disgusting energy.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Exactly my point teabagyokel. When you think back, even teams who didn't have a road car dvision exploited their brand with their engine provider. The Renault Williams Clio for example. It added that F1 touch of glamour to an ordinary car brand.

In terms of tie ups in motoring, Red Bull aren't branded that way. They are never going to be aspirational in their own right.

 

[The Pits]

They have also teamed up with Scott bikes, in a similar way to mclaren and specialized. I cant wait for the new scott bike which flexes more the faster you go. Cav would end up with a bike like a banana!!

 

[FB]

Not that I want one but here's the Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel.

http://www.infinitiusa.com/now/future-vehicles/infiniti-fx-sebastian-vettel-version.html

 

[Brogan]

I think I'll get the Infiniti VX Daniel Ricciardo version, it goes faster

 

[Mephistopheles]

When I first glanced at that site I thought it said Infinite flex and assumed it was a nod towards the Red Bulls front wing...

 

[soccerman17]

But I reckon the Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel will turn into a Ferrari after 6 years, so I'll take that one.

 

[Jen]

The Seb Vettel Ferarri will turn into any other car given the opportunity!

 

[Splash]

I presume we all know that Infiniti is just Nissan?