Oliver WhiteFirst of all, let’s remind ourselves that Red Bull Racing have competed in Formula One for one year, and one year only. In that time, they have managed to secure the services of a proven race winner – David Coulthard – who may have been a little desperate at the time of signing, signed none-the-less. Also in that year, they managed to score several points in the championship and managed not to embarrass themselves on a global scale. Later in this same year, the team bought out Minardi to be used as Red Bull’s second Formula One entry, they secured Ferrari engines for 2006 and they blagged one of the worlds top aerodynamicists – Adrian Newey – from McLaren.
That is quite an impressive first year for a team that I originally thought a year ago would not be around long enough to make any kind of impression. I guess I was wrong on that! It would seem that Red Bull are here to stay and more to the point, they are here to win.
Last year, Red Bull alternated their second seat between Christian Klien and Vitantonio Liuzzi. With their second team though, 2006 will be a little more stable – Christian Klien should have the drive for all the races. Christian did quite well last year, and again proved that he is capable, if a little inexperienced. He probably felt a little out of his depth, particularly as Red Bull were moving fast and changes happened very quickly within the team.
Partnering Klien will again be David Coulthard. The Scot did well last year, and often ruffled the feathers of some of the top teams. He silenced some of his critics, and I think has found a new home and a new challenge. This year will arguable be more difficult, as the team will have to maintain performance at minimum. This will be difficult as the rest of the grid looks to have improved considerably. But the addition of Adrian Newey to the team will be welcome, even if his effect on the car won’t be seen ’til much later in the year.
The Red Bull squad appear to going from strength to strength, and at a very fast pace. It seems they will be around for a long time, which is encorouging to F1, and their antics off the track are certainly reminiscent of Eddie Jordan and his old team (now Midland).
I’m not so sure they will have a good start to the season though, as testing has highlighted a few areas of concern. But the second half of their campaign should be interesting, as Newey’s presence in the team will begin to bear some fruit. Red Bull are definitely a team to watch, and one day, they will be a major force in F1.
What do you think about them having a Ferrari engine this time round?
I think it is a step in the right direction. Red Bull scooping that kind of deal is big news, especially for such a young team. Apparently they have being having issues working the engine into the chassis, but I also hear that the issue is partly at the fault of Ferrari.
Ultimately, having the Ferrari engine can only mean good news. The last time Ferrari made a big boo boo in the engine department was 1996, so I’m sure the V8 will be reliable, thoroughly tested and powerful enough to take the constructors title (with Ferrari). For Red Bull? If they produce a half decent chassis, they should get on the podium a couple of times.
Does anyone else have an opinion on Red Bull’s new setup? Come on, someone must have something to say about a team that currently has loadsa money, a good engine and Adrian Newey?
red bull have been successful in almost every sporting event they’ve ever entered and in some cases invented brand new sports in the pursuit of marketing opportunities.
i’ve no doubt this team will become a major, major player in f1 circles, not only successful on track but also politically. for example ‘team str’ has very little to do with bringing new drivers to the fore and a lot more to do with bernie and max’s plans for the future.
in adrian they have a superb aerodynamicist but more importantly they have a 2nd wind tunnel with which to occupy his talents. bringing a 2nd tunnel on stream within one year of entering the sport is nothing short of miraculous.
Red Bull have definitely been miraculous in their first year of F1 racing. First they ‘scoop’ Coulthard, then Ferrari, Minardi and Newey. As I have said before, is there no stopping them!? I am also very sure that in years to come they will be a major force to be reckoned with. When I first heard that Red Bull had bought the failing Jaguar Racing, I thought it was just a gimmick. Now, I realise they are in F1 for the longhaul, and good luck to them, I say!
if proof were needed check out their new motorhome due to debut in bahrain, it’s massive and takes 4 days to build. press quote:
‘Following the success of their Energy Station hospitality unit last year, Red Bull have taken the design of their motorhome one step further, building a glass and metal office that will sit above two of the race trucks behind the pit garages.’