Red Bull Reveal New RB9 Car

Red Bull have revealed the machine they hope will be able to retain the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship, after a slightly secretive unveiling at their factory in Milton Keynes ahead of the new season. The team will run the car for the first time this coming week at the first pre-season test at Jerez, with Mark Webber behind the wheel on day one.

The reigning Constructors’ Champions became the fifth consecutive team to unveil their car earlier today, following on from McLaren, Ferrari, Force India and Sauber. Although very few images of the RB9 have been officially released, illustrations of the new car reveal slightly slimmer sidepods reminiscent of Sauber, a minor step in the nose in comparison to the RB8 and no “letterbox” slot on the nose of the car which was one of the major attractions this time last year.

With Red Bull securing a more prominent collaboration with Japanese car manufacturer Infiniti, the new RB9 features an increased amount of Infiniti logos on the car, most visibly across the sidepods. The car has also undergone a slight color change during the winter period, with the new RB9 now featuring an increased amount of purple along with the traditional blue.

“Our stronger link with Infiniti from 2013 is part of the natural evolution of our team and demonstrates its growth.” Explained Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, “We are still a young racing outfit and this title partnership is a very welcome aspect of our development. I firmly believe it will prove to be of enormous benefit on both sides over the coming years.”

The new RB9, like with many other new machines already unveiled up and down the grid, is not hugely different to its predecessor. This is largely due to the lack of regulation changes for the forthcoming season, which has therefore forced Adrian Newey to design what he has dubbed an evolution of the successful RB8 machine. The new challenger features only subtle modifications in comparison to last year, but is still regarded as the car to beat in 2013.

“It’s an evolutionary car.” Said Adrian Newey, “There were no big regulation changes over the winter. The most significant change is not the regulations, it’s the new Pirelli tyres. We had a quick test in P1 in Brazil but it was very hot and on a green track and in truth we didn’t learn a lot. It’s really been a case of refining the RB8. There are no huge changes. It’s very much an evolutionary car. All the principles [are] the same as last year. The devil has very much been in the detail with this car. We’ve tidied up some bits that we felt could be improved on. Development is now the key through the year.”

The Milton Keynes-based outfit will run the new RB9 machine for the first time during testing at Jerez in Spain, which gets underway in only a couple of days time. This will be the majority of the teams’ first chances to run their new challengers, as they strive to prepare for the coming season. Mark Webber will get the first taste of the new Red Bull on Tuesday, before handing over to team-mate and reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel on Wednesday.

Picture Copyright © Getty Images for Red Bull Racing

Sebastian Vettel: “We Have One Of The Most Consistent Cars”

After finishing Sunday’s British Grand Prix 3rd, Sebastian Vettel believes Red Bull have one of the most consistent cars on the 2012 grid. Admittedly the reigning World Champion retired with a mechanical issue in Valencia, but that has so far been the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s only retirement of the season.

Looking back on Red Bull’s previous results, and the consistency of the reigning Champions is abundantly clear. Since the start of the 2010 season, Red Bull have only suffered eight retirements, with only three of those being down to issues on the car. Red Bull have taken 24 race victories since 2010, including the three so far taken in 2012. This has enabled them to be crowned Constructors’ Champions for the last two years.

Although the 2012 season has so far not been dominated by Red Bull, or any one particular team for that matter, Sebastian Vettel remains confident that his team have one of the most consistent cars on the grid. They are so far the only team to have taken three victories in 2012, however it is Mark Webber who is currently the leading Red Bull driver in this highly unpredictable season. When asked for his judgement on the RB8, the reigning World Champion had this to say:

“We had a good car right from the beginning – a car that at least brought us into the top five at every race. And we have seen how fast it can happen that instead of P1 you end in P5, so we have to be satisfied. I would even go so far as to say that we have one of the most consistent cars as we’ve only had one retirement. So yes, I would say that the package is good – and for sure good enough to attack at the next races.”

Sebastian Vettel has yet to win at the either of the next two races on the 2012 calendar, in Germany and Hungary. The German hasn’t ever won a race in July come to that, and will undeniably be striving to correct that fact with a victory in front of his adoring home fans in two weeks time around the Hockenheimring.

Paul Di Resta Completes Force India Shakedown

Scot Paul Di Resta has completed a shakedown of the new Mercedes powered Force India VJM05, completing a number of laps at Silverstone shortly after unveiling their new car to the media.

With temperatures at Silverstone barely over freezing, members of the media waited patiently for the first glimpse of the new Force India, before Paul Di Resta climbed inside and put the first laps down of the 2012 testing season in a new car.

Today only Paul Di Resta will get behind the wheel, before official testing begins next Tuesday at Jerez where both Di Resta and F1 returnee Nico Hulkenberg will be able to get behind the wheel, along with the rest of the 2012 grid. 

Five new cars are set to be unveiled in the coming days leading up to the start of pre-season testing, including Reigning World Champions Red Bull on Monday. Lotus are set to unveil their car on Sunday with returning World Champion, Kimi Raikkonen set to lead the team when testing gets underway two days later.

Force India have set their sights on 5th place in the Constructors’ World Championship for this season, with hopes they’ll be able to battle with Lotus and Mercedes in 2012.