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.

 

[P1]

They are getting bad advertising by publicly attacking Renault thanks to that dunce Hornerand making themselves look really stupid

Mark Webbers autobiography also portrays him as a bit of a dunce.

 

[Andyoak]

Not that Mark would be biased

 

[Il_leone]

Batman I have not read Mark Webber's Autobiography so I will put that on my Christmas wish list but you can tell Christian Horner is a bit of a knob with the way he incompetently manages things and then tends to rub people the wrong way during Red Bull's dominant years

I think if Eric Bouillier was in charge then Red Bull would at least have an engine confirmed for 2016 by now.

 

[P1]

Not that Mark would be biased

Yeah although Mark was fairly positive about Mateschitz.

There is a good summary of Mark's comments about Red Bull in the book here.

Former F1 star finally able to write book bashing team

 

[Il_leone]

Batman
Webber actually managed somehow in his contract state a clause that he can talk to Mateschitz directly about it and did not have to involve Helmut - the Dark Lord of the Sith. It was much to Helmut's annoyance in using the press to say the Toro Rosso drivers are there to replace him at every opportunity.

I think he summed up what we already know that Helmut is the real Team Principal at Red Bull and Horner is weak and a muppet is ala Grand Moffin with very little authority. It amazes me that Horner is still team principal with his weak leadership and management.

 

[P1]

Have you guys seen the comments from Ecclestone claiming the Red Bull problem has been fixed, but not explaining how suffice to say he thinks they will have an engine as a result of recent actions.

Ecclestone: Red Bull future is 'sorted' - AUTOSPORT

Shortly afterwards the FIA has announced that they will be permitting in season engine development and the use of previous year engines - thereby reversing what was announced a couple of days ago.

In-season engine development for 2016 - AUTOSPORT


This saga has more twists and turns than a murder mystery.

So which year old engines will they get - Ferrari, Renault or Honda?

 

[Bill Boddy]

Shock, horror, FIA come out with a policy statement one day then reverse it the next. Who would have believed it?

 

[Il_leone]

Well we did have the famous medals system that Bernie wanted to introduce in 2009 and only for Red Bull and all the other teams to remind him there was a clause that says they all can veto any rules they don't like within 20 day. That left Bernie red faced two days before the season started

 

[P1]

What's even more odd is the rumor floating around that Bernie is trying to get a V8 or a 3.5 liter V6 turbo with KERS approved for Red Bull.

I don't see that being accepted. So many issues - how do you set horsepower, fuel consumption limits and number of engines while still being fair. I think it's impossible.

 

[Il_leone]

I think the engine in season development one will stand which ironically is what Red Bull have been crying about for the last 5 years

 

[-WBF1-]

The problem is if Red Bull pull out they will take four cars off the grid. That's a huge chunk of the teams. They are also the most successful of the privateer teams recently. They are the only ones that can play with the big boys. We really are seeing a clear divide between works teams and privateers (exception = Mclaren).

Red Bull rub me the wrong way. They do come across as arrogant and as a bunch of sore losers. However, they are not in the sport to make up the numbers. They are there to win, that's it. They have been caught out on the new engine rules and can now see themselves languishing for the foreseeable future. That's why they are threatening a walk out.

If F1 continues to place the emphasis on manufacturers then we will slowly see the loss of all privateers as their budgets will not be able to compete with the big boys. No one wants to continually be at the back. After the privateers go you will have a constructor who is always at the back, they'll leave and then the next one will. It's a cycle that could spell the end of the sport.

Red Bull may not be everyone's favorite, I know I couldn't stand them between '10 and '13, but they are good for the sport. Think how dull this season would be without RB or TR.

I am continuing to hope for a radical change to the sport to help the competitive side of the sport. However, it probably will never come. Too many people are lining their pockets with the current set up for anything to change unless they are forced to due to the sport losing money.

Would we lose four cars though.

Possibly next year we would lose two, what with the Hass team coming in. With the Money and tie up with Ferrari ,plus unlimited CFD and wind tunnel, they are likely to beat Manor. Should both Red bull and Torro Rosso stay this would probably put Manor out of the top 10 for a couple of years. This will stop Manor from getting the all important 10th place and collecting any prize money; therefore their probable demise. Two cars down again.

Alright it is probably better to have two better funded teams, who could push the manufacturers, but (and my personal bias coming out here) I would like to give Manor a chance to progress.

 

[P1]

Would we lose four cars though.

Possibly next year we would lose two, what with the Hass team coming in. With the Money and tie up with Ferrari ,plus unlimited CFD and wind tunnel, they are likely to beat Manor. Should both Red bull and Torro Rosso stay this would probably put Manor out of the top 10 for a couple of years. This will stop Manor from getting the all important 10th place and collecting any prize money; therefore their probable demise. Two cars down again.

Alright it is probably better to have two better funded teams, who could push the manufacturers, but (and my personal bias coming out here) I would like to give Manor a chance to progress.

With Haas we are at 22 cars for next year.

I think there are 6 cars at risk for the 2016 grid: Lotus, Red Bull and Toro Rosso.

Interestingly Renault is a key lynchpin to all three teams, and so when Ecclestone said the issue is sorted, my best guess is that he cut a deal with Renault that gives them some concessions on historic manufacturer status (including maybe some engine supplier wins) in exchange for being engine OEM of last resort for Red Bull and Toro Rosso.

However if we lose all 6 cars, then we would be at 16 cars which means the 3 car rule will kick in. Mercedes and Ferrari will contribute to bring grid to 18, and maybe McLaren will contribute to bring grid to 19.

So worst case we are down 2 cars.

I think the Red Bull departure is highly unlikely given the approval of 2015 engines for 2016 and the $500 million exit clause in Red Bull's contract if they withdraw. Given this there is a possibility that we only lose Lotus, in which case we would still be at 20 cars for next year.

 

[RasputinLives]

Should both Red bull and Torro Rosso stay this would probably put Manor out of the top 10 for a couple of years.

With Merc engines, 12 months to develop a car and a new team of brains headed up by Bob Bell I think Manor are going to jump straight into the midfield next year. Its Sauber who appear to be the most worried about the Haas arrival.

 

[Il_leone]

I agree Sauber are vulnerable and they are only in 8th place this year because Mclarens have been simply awful

 

[Greenlantern101]

Just a screen grab from the fan survey. Ouch.

 

[Dash Racing]

Yes, nice wake up call for Red Bull, I think.

 

[siffert_fan]

I suspect the poll results would be (nearly) the same whatever team or driver you mentioned.

 

[Andyoak]

There does seem to be a certain irony about the no vote being red.

 

[FB]

I suspect the only team who's withdrawal would have a serious effect on viewing figures is Ferrari.

 

[Dash Racing]

I suspect the only team who's withdrawal would have a serious effect on viewing figures is Ferrari.

The poll seemed to suggest as much.