The Red Bull RB9 has been seen for the first time at the team’s base in Milton Keynes.
This is the car the team hope will bring them a fourth consecutive constructors’ championship. Sebastian Vettel is aiming for the same in the drivers’ championship – but team mate Mark Webber will be out to claim the title for himself.
Team principal Christian Horner said continuity and stability within the team gave him confidence they could capture both championships for the fourth year in a row.
“We’ve got continuity in the driver line-up for a fifth year. We’ve got continuity throughout all of the key technical areas,” he said.
“There’s a fierce determination to keep both those trophies in the cabinet at Milton Keynes for another year.”
Chief technical officer Adrian Newey described the car as an evolution of the previous year’s RB8. He said the car does incorporate a vanity panel, though it does not extend to the full length of the nose as the increased weight could not be justified.
The RB9 has a slightly revised colour scheme incorporating more purple, to reflect the team’s title branding from Infiniti.
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Rob Wilson (@rob-wilson)
3rd February 2013, 13:22
Pearlescent purple bull? Hell yeah!
ScuderiaVincero (@scuderiavincero)
3rd February 2013, 13:53
@rob-wilson And here I was expecting same old same old. Surprisingly for me, very few Red Bull titles on the car, and really, none on the main body. I’ll definitely forgive the step nose for that :P
Nick.UK (@)
3rd February 2013, 14:43
Having seen some of the cars so far, I think 2013 could be a season with some of the most beautiful cars for a while. Then again, we may just be so overwhelmed by their beauty due to having got used to 2012’s slim pickings…
Carlitox (@carlitox)
3rd February 2013, 15:20
Neat colours but they’re just not good for a Bull. I’ve gotten too used to their livery, it’s just like when McLaren switched from their Marlboro livery to the West one and then to the current Vodafone. Still, very good looking. More pics will reveal more technical details :)
Mariano (@mariano)
3rd February 2013, 15:51
@rob-wilson In fact it’s Infiniti violet due to their increased sponsorship of the Red Bull F1 Team for 2013
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd February 2013, 18:23
I like the new color on there, makes the car feel more intense.
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 13:23
@keithcollantine And I thought you weren’t supposed to take pictures ;)
PJ (@)
3rd February 2013, 13:26
That’s what Scarbs’ said too.
https://twitter.com/ScarbsF1/status/298059169427238912
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 13:28
Ian Parkes has taken a picture as well, and strangely Red Bull spy was the first to post an image of the car on Twitter
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
3rd February 2013, 14:10
@pjtierney I’m sitting next to him!
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
3rd February 2013, 13:32
@andae23 Best I could get for now. G4S nearly snatched my phone off me.
Brace (@brace)
3rd February 2013, 13:33
G4S, dear God. They might as well hire bunch of street thugs and dress them up. It wouldn’t make a difference.
zicasso (@zicasso)
3rd February 2013, 17:16
lol
plutoniumhunter (@plutoniumhunter)
3rd February 2013, 13:41
G4S? Nasty.
JimmyTheIllustratedBlindSolidSilverBeachStackapopolis III
3rd February 2013, 13:49
That seems ridiculous this is what happens at an f1 car launch. It’s the first chance for the world to see the new car or why did they even bother? May as well have just left it under the tarp.
Mike (@mike)
3rd February 2013, 16:02
Red Null, like most teams, are trying to prevent pictures of the back of the car (amongst other bits) from getting out. As then the other teams can see what they are doing.
The rendered pictures allow a team to show only what they want people to see.
Mike (@mike)
3rd February 2013, 16:27
Red Bull* -.-
BS (@bs)
3rd February 2013, 19:39
Why not just cover up certain sensitive parts of the car and be intentionally mysterious about it. Hell, I’d cover up uninteresting parts just to spite the competition, if only for comedy.
Otherwise have an aesthetically similar car with dated parts. Handling it like this really seems the wrong way of dealing with an understandable issue.
Don’t care that much though. I just want to see them race. :/
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
3rd February 2013, 22:34
@mike
And most of the other teams launch their cars with 2012-spec parts for any sensitive areas of the car so that if photos do get taken, it won’t tip everyone else off as to what they are doing.
Mike (@mike)
4th February 2013, 1:12
@prisoner-monkeys
Then why were Red Bull trying to prevent photos?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
4th February 2013, 1:28
@mike
I’d say it was for two reasons:
1) They clearly didn’t think it through. If they were trying to prevent photos, it means that there was something on the car that they did not want photographed. All the other teams have placed 2012-spec parts on sensitive areas of the car, which is what Red Bull should have done.
2) They wanted all of the fireworks of a live launch event, but they probably only wanted approved photos to be released – ie the photos that they took and authorised to be sent out. Which again suggests that they didn’t think things through, because they invited the media (who all brought their cameras since that’s their job). They were probably hoping that any and all stories about the launch would be accompanied by the photos supplied.
Mike (@mike)
5th February 2013, 1:51
@prisoner-monkeys
So effectively you are saying that it’s the F1 equivalent of forgetting you put the kettle on…
I….. don’t buy it. They must have had a reason, otherwise they wouldn’t have done it. But most I’ve heard don’t really make sense to me as of now.
Nick.UK (@)
3rd February 2013, 14:41
Is that Red Bull’s Brown Shirts? Haha.
Hairs (@hairs)
3rd February 2013, 18:55
Nice work @keithcollantine but hopefully there won’t be any PR repercussions from Red Bull for breaking their no photos embargo. From where you’re sitting, there’s no way of discerning any “secret details” the team may have wanted to hide, but that may not stop them quietly blacklisting any site that took a photo.
The whole thing paints Red Bull in a bad light, actually. It’s bad PR to invite people to a launch and then run it like the Stasi, it contradicts their carefully (corporately) honed image of the “freewheeling outsiders”, and worst of all, it’s utterly pointless and stupid. A simple rule of launch spec cars is “If you don’t want it seen, don’t put it on.” Not complicated.
Mclaren launched a demonstrably different car to last year’s, and let photographers and engineers climb all over it (scarbs, I understand, was lying underneath it at one point, taking photos). There were obvious places where they had put on fake, “launch spec”, or last year’s parts. Big deal. That’s all Red Bull had to do in this case. And yet McLaren are portrayed as the stuffed shirts of the paddock.
Red Bull’s cars have looked 99% the same to the untutored eye for the past 4 years (nose step aside) and yet they’re utterly paranoid all of the time. If some other team needs to get a shot of what you’re building, they will. If they have to hire one of your engineers to steal your secrets, they will. This sort of pointless coverup just makes them look silly.
As numerous experts have told us time and time again, what matters in an F1 car is what works on your car, with your car’s basic philosophy. Even if another team sees one of your good ideas, there’s no guarantee they can stick in on their car and it’ll work at all. Even if it works, there’s no guarantee they’ll get the same benefit, because there may be some other part of the car under the skin, or in the engine maps, or the setup, that makes it work. Photographs don’t help there.
Out of the 7 launches so far, two teams have made fools of themselves: Mercedes by failing to learn from the “online launch” server overload fiasco last year, and Red Bull by being, well, Red Bull.
Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
3rd February 2013, 19:50
Great sum up of launches (even if mercedes event was not their real launch, they still made fools of themselves).
Even Ferrari is doing a beter launch job than RedBull while in competition for me most secret team, and expect boards from both of them at Jerez …
Timothy Katz (@timothykatz)
3rd February 2013, 20:02
Very pithy and perceptive, Hairs. This has got to be COTD, if not Month.
@HoHum (@hohum)
3rd February 2013, 20:16
@hairs, if they didn’t pretend it was secret then the other teams wouldn’t be tearing their hair out trying to work out what Newey was doing, by using stuff that didn’t work for the launch they make the other teams worry about missing a trick.
Funkyf1 (@funkyf1)
4th February 2013, 7:01
+1
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 22:11
What you’re forgetting is that we here on F1 Fanatic represent not even 1% of all Formula 1 fans. For the other 99%, they will either see a picture of the car during launch taken by the exclusive photographers, or they will not see the launch at all (probably 90% of all fans). So they have made a complete fools out of themselves for us, but the main audience will not have noticed that. That of course doesn’t mean that I don’t think the way the journalists were treated was fair.
Hairs (@hairs)
3rd February 2013, 22:49
all the mainstream f1 media were there too. The problem is that pr only works if the outlets agree to play along.
Journalists tend to take things like this personally and as a result red bull’s very expensive pr machine now has to placate them all, and massage some punctured egos. otherwise, stories about them are going to have a negative bent for a while.
Don’t forget red bull the company is only in this sort for pr. nothing else. They’re not racers, they’re not car people, they’re pr driven consumerism. Horner and vettel and newey will have to look for other backers once red bull get bored.
BBQ2
3rd February 2013, 14:02
Watch the vid here :
http://www.gpupdate.net/en/videos/3044/red-bull-presents-new-rb9/
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
3rd February 2013, 15:05
Absolutely idiotic presentation…
robk23 (@robk23)
3rd February 2013, 16:00
Not being allowed to take photos at a car launch is bit like not being able to drink at a beer festival.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
3rd February 2013, 17:09
@robk23 depends: designated driver :P
robk23 (@robk23)
3rd February 2013, 17:33
Touché!
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd February 2013, 18:25
Yeah, especially if you compare it to McLaren, where Peter Windsor and Craig Scarborough were even allowed to film close up and touch parts to point out certain details!
Funkyf1 (@funkyf1)
4th February 2013, 7:07
It’s all mind games @bascb, Who says the McLaren that was filmed was even close to their 2013 car. We all know these are basically props with new paint jobs just to entice the fans and media, the secret game has been well played by RedBull in my opinion, as it always is. On the joke side, that could be Mark’s car, he doesn’t get the upgrades till the 2nd round!
BasCB (@bascb)
4th February 2013, 8:28
Sure, there will be many parts that will be different before the car gets to Melbourne @funkyf1, but I doubt the pull rod front suspension, or the nosecone/vanity panel have all been made just to show them at the presentation.
Osvaldas31 (@osvaldas31)
3rd February 2013, 13:24
Pity Red Bull wasn’t broadcasting unveiling of RB9 live to fans around the globe.
Brad Shimmin (@bradshimmin)
3rd February 2013, 13:26
Certainly evolution over evolution, which probably bodes quite well for the RB boys. But my god that uber-sized, photo-realistic Infiniti logo that has taken over the the side pods is killing me. I suppose it’s only a matter of time before we see the “Waste Management” RB10 out there?
robfff
3rd February 2013, 13:28
Best one so far: http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/555176_487437524636075_1988832780_n.jpg
robfff
3rd February 2013, 13:34
From the front.. although very low res: http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/601053_487439374635890_1275188838_n.jpg
Jon E
3rd February 2013, 13:32
you can see the car in 1080p on just ff to 3 mins
Bendanarama (@bendana)
3rd February 2013, 13:36
A double stepped nose. Because one step is just TOO MAINSTREAM.
plutoniumhunter (@plutoniumhunter)
3rd February 2013, 13:43
http://www.seankenney.com/portfolio_images/Sculpture/Formula-One/4.jpg
Bendanarama (@bendana)
3rd February 2013, 14:00
Showoff.
testguy (@testguy)
3rd February 2013, 14:45
Fast ‘n bulbous. I like it!
Timothy Katz (@timothykatz)
3rd February 2013, 20:05
Hmmm. Something about ‘bulbous also tapered’.
Ben (@scuderia29)
3rd February 2013, 13:37
i do like that pearlescent purple!
Chris (@tophercheese21)
3rd February 2013, 13:42
The Redbull shape and colours have really grown on me. I think they’ve made some of the better looking cars in the recent years.
William Brierty
3rd February 2013, 13:43
What a shambles of a launch! No live stream, no photos, no nothing. I know RBR like to brand themselves as enigmatic but this is ridiculous! Not something I expect from what I believe to be the most professional team of them all. McLaren shames you RBR.
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 13:44
My thoughts exactly
Phil Wright (@05mpwright)
3rd February 2013, 13:53
I thought McLaren’s launch was good when I watched it, now compared with the ‘launches’ of Mercedes and Red Bull I consider it excellent.
William Brierty
3rd February 2013, 13:59
+1000000000000000000
Nomore
3rd February 2013, 14:01
” to be the most professional team of them all”
Seriously do you believe red bull is the most professional team???
professional is not related only to fast but a couple of other things…the newspaper “The Economist” has elected Ferrari as the best place to work in Europe.
Professionalism is not related only to speed in f1. if i have to rate the team based in their professionalism i will do it like this:
Ferrari
Williams
McLaren
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
3rd February 2013, 14:57
What does that have to do with professionalism?
Nomore
3rd February 2013, 15:16
It does. Best place to work does not means only salary…but ambient to work,professionalism of the enterprise, prospectives, assurances, workgroup, way to treat the employers…etc
A couple of months ago an ex young driver (Robin Frijns) of red bull said that red bull treat their drivers like dogs…
Mike (@mike)
3rd February 2013, 16:31
It could also mean which workplace has free ice creams, or which one has the laziest supervisors. Depending on your preferences…. It however may not mean professionalism, or even have anything to do with it.
Nomore
3rd February 2013, 17:53
Not in my preferences but in the “The Economist” specialists preferences.
Your points are pointless and does not a reflect an opinion of an acknowledgment fan of formula 1 should have. The first point “ice creams” it is not a point. The second point ” laziest supervisors” simple is not true, since it was not Ferrari who send one of their drivers in track with insufficient fuel (the ABC of formula 1), indeed it was Red Bull and McLaren.
For McLaren i have a big respect and consider them a very professional team, with a certain history behind.
For Red Bull sorry but in one way or another the history and experience are related with professionalism (maybe 20 years from now they will become more professional). And i consider them a Bad Winners since they showed 0 respect for Ferrari with theirs declarations.
Mclaren and Ferrari had battled for years but always showed respect for each other,independently which one was the winner or the loser.
Professionalism is highly related with the quality and quantity of the work but they are not the only criterion (please reread my message).
It is true that the last year RB has made a more performant car but Ferrari was second right behind them. But in professionalism of an enterprise is not only the quality of the work which matter.
Anway you can contact “The Economist” for further explanation of their choice.
And please if you want to open a constructive debate you are free, but for a fan biased debate i’m not interested. You can like or not like Ferrari but pls give reasonable answers and explanation why u think they are not professional. I’m really interested to learn by others commenting but not in the way you have proposed it…
This site has a reputation of a good fans of f1 let’s respect this.
Ean (@ean)
3rd February 2013, 14:04
Redbull know where to have the best show , on the racing circuit
Funkyf1 (@funkyf1)
4th February 2013, 7:09
Correct, show n tell is for 5 yr olds
Brace (@brace)
3rd February 2013, 15:14
Enigmatic? They are as enigmatic as the back of my hand.
DuncF1 (@duncf1)
3rd February 2013, 18:01
So they can manage a global live stream from a balloon in space, but not from a factory in Milton Keynes? Poor show Red Bull!
Alehud42 (@alehud42)
3rd February 2013, 13:43
I do hope the car is as bad as it looks. The purple ruins what little I liked about RBR’s livery and the basic design is as far from aesthetically pleasing as it can get.
William Brierty
3rd February 2013, 13:47
+100000000000000000000000000000000000
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
3rd February 2013, 22:09
@alehud42 – although I agree about the aesthetics (although not the purple), wishing bad luck upon ones’ rivals is quite unnecessary. Shouldn’t you instead be wishing luck upon your favoured team, so remaining an optimist?
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 13:46
I suspect Vettel will call her “Violet”
JamieFranklinF1 (@jamiefranklinf1)
3rd February 2013, 13:48
Hopefully something like Violet the vixen. I don’t think I could take a Victorious Violet.
Fisha695 (@fisha695)
3rd February 2013, 13:56
Violent Violet
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
3rd February 2013, 14:05
Vicious Violet
GeeMac (@geemac)
3rd February 2013, 14:11
Only if it has a tendency to crash into things…which is unlikely given what’s gone on over the last 3 years!
skye hollywood (@skye)
3rd February 2013, 14:09
Victorious Violet
Nick.UK (@)
3rd February 2013, 14:51
Maybe he’ll just call it Mrs Vettel…
Gdon (@gdon)
3rd February 2013, 15:28
LOL
Antonio (@antoniocorleone)
3rd February 2013, 19:16
Violet hill
thatscienceguy
3rd February 2013, 21:43
If reliability is poor, it may end up being called Violet Crumble (the Australians will get it).
Mike (@mike)
4th February 2013, 1:22
Haha :D
These are so bad :D
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
3rd February 2013, 13:47
The purple is okay but that nose is horrible! Allison’s got one right then!
Spark (@mcmrocks)
3rd February 2013, 14:40
The nose doesn’t look that bad. I wonder why it is that low. But the shape is ok, still a step but looks better than last year ;)
Kelsier (@kelsier)
3rd February 2013, 13:48
Ohh, I see this is the Webber version, it wont have any of the good bits on it.
Valentino (@valentino)
3rd February 2013, 13:48
Can we make comparative pictures of the cars to see how tight their side-pods are? Or can Keith make a page where we comment and compare them?
zippyone (@zippyone)
3rd February 2013, 13:49
I really like the purple, my favourite colour, but it’s still a Red Bull so I can’t like it too much
Calum (@calum)
3rd February 2013, 13:51
Loving the purple through the new livery, nice little change there although the giant Infiniti logos on the sidepods look odd (just because they are new).
BBQ2
3rd February 2013, 14:06
Dont let the lights deceive your eyes mate!
Brace (@brace)
3rd February 2013, 13:57
Pirelli should really think about redesigning their logo. I mean, for a tyre company, to have a logo that doesn’t fit to the tyre even half decently, is just amateurish.
Dev (@dev)
3rd February 2013, 13:57
i like the nose, it’s adding some character to the car’s look…
dude
3rd February 2013, 13:58
watch their youtube video if you want to see more details of the car http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6cxIeCIjE
nidzovski (@nidzovski)
3rd February 2013, 13:59
Oh it’s so surprising and exciting….NOT!!!
HK (@me4me)
3rd February 2013, 14:01
From the 3 pictures available right now, the RB9 looks alot like the RB8 at the end of 2012. The air inlets on the sidepod look small, but the sidepods themselves look rather wide. Not alof of new interesting stuff, it seems. Probably all the 2012 tech, but really well balanced.
Brace (@brace)
3rd February 2013, 14:05
http://img235.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=893568184_redbull_01_122_49lo.jpg
Tudor
3rd February 2013, 14:06
A few better resolution pictures here:
http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/formel-1/red-bull-rb9-fuer-die-f1-saison-2013-neues-auto-fuer-den-champion-6414958.html
Bob (@bobthevulcan)
3rd February 2013, 14:11
The nose seems to be an odd hybrid of the RB6 and RB8, and the purple doesn’t exactly blend well with the rest of the Red Bull livery. Time will tell if it’s as fast as it is unorthodox/unusual-looking.
Gaston (@gastonmazzacane)
3rd February 2013, 14:34
Looks like Renault powered cars, do need a nose step :)
Aditya (@adityafakhri)
3rd February 2013, 16:24
Bottas has said that Williams won’t have a stepped nose.
Newey and Allison seemed confident with their stepped nose, and it might be interesting to see the other teams discard the vanity panel in the mid-season. :D
Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
3rd February 2013, 14:38
Best part of the launch, probably their new video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6cxIeCIjE
Quite unlike RedBull but yet the show is not there yet …
About the car itself, quite odd looking for me, the pics look like draws and this nose is, let’s say, unexpected (we were waiting steps or vanity and they choose none of those). The purple is probably a good thing to refresh their livery a bit (that’s pobably also what makes the car looks like a drawing)
All in all I don’t believe it will be elected the best looking car of 2013 but we should expect some performance from them, time will tell
mystaaRS
3rd February 2013, 14:41
http://f1grandprix.motorionline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/adrian-newey-red-bull-rb9.jpg
Mads (@mads)
3rd February 2013, 14:59
This is the car which is going, at least try, to defend last years championships, and they present it like this? This is just plain unfair.
bag0 (@bag0)
3rd February 2013, 15:15
Something seems wrong around the rear suspension. It is either the exhaust outlets position, or some missing bodywork around that area. It just seems so empty there.
Timski
3rd February 2013, 15:30
Can’t help but notice the complete lack of pictures of the rear. Nothing from the back on any site. And we know nobody in the room got a good look at the rear. Rather suggests there *is* something missing back there.
Lemon (@lemon)
3rd February 2013, 17:15
Completely agree…. To me it seems like there is some missing body work at the rear…. Maybe that’s an area which they didn’t want shown to other teams… So they just took it off?
Lemon (@lemon)
3rd February 2013, 20:18
take that back after seeing it on a screen better than my phones screen….clearly just very tight at the back…
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 15:30
Though I wasn’t at the launch itself (‘onviously’), I get the impression that this was a very secretive and absurd car launch. Teams usually don’t show a lot of their car during launches, but Red Bull’s approach was just ridiculous. Pictures were not allowed, and when Keith and other journalists tried to take a picture, they almost had to hand in their phone. And as soon as the launch was over, the car was covered up before the journalists had had a chance to take a closer look.
Secrecy has always been a part of Formula 1, though over the past fifty years it has increased exponentially. Today’s car launch was absolutely ridiculous: millions of people around the world watch the Red Bulls go around corners and support the team by buying merchandise – and this is how they thank them? By not showing them anything? I have said it before on this site, but something is fundamentally flawed in this sport. The sport is too big and the pay-driver thing and this car launch are symptoms of this.
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 15:52
Should be ‘obviously’, obviously. For sure I can’t type ‘obviously’ anymore, for sure
pH (@ph)
3rd February 2013, 16:30
I thought it was intentional, a word play on “obviously” and “evnious” (if there is such a word :-)).
pH (@ph)
3rd February 2013, 16:32
@andae23
Rats, I meant “envious”, now my typo. This thread seems cursed, anybody else wants to try?
Gdon (@gdon)
3rd February 2013, 16:55
Fr shore dis tread is cussed
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 15:34
I’m intrigued by the exhaust: they have a large tunnel, but there clearly is a second, smaller hole directly next to it. As long as we don’t get more picture, I have no idea what to think of that. The sidepods are remakably slimmer than their previous lay-out, looks very neat. A bit dissappointed that they have sticked to pushrod front suspension.
Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
3rd February 2013, 16:48
@andae23 Have you also notice the hole above driver’s head, it was present last year but much smaller than it is now. If it’s for a ‘Device’ kind of thing, they will have to cross fluxes which is not what you usually want and in the same time they want an intake not affecting globale aero (like the one in Lotus, definitly hurting a bit their aero) … That’s my best pick for now (or they are blowing it somewhere else)
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 19:09
@jeanrien Well spotted! I think you could be right, then the ‘main’ inlet can be used (or partly used) for RB’s version of the ‘device’, and the smaller inlet for engine cooling. Interesting to keep an eye on that.
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 19:31
The lower inlet could also be the seperate KERS inlet.
Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
3rd February 2013, 19:53
Seems a good idea as well, particularly knowing the issues they had with kers and the importance it will have on next year’s car …
I Love the Pope
3rd February 2013, 15:45
Pretty soon these cars are going to be spindles, wheels, and a lawn mower engine on the back. You know, karts.
I miss the late 80s cars. The 1987 Camel Lotus is one of my favorites.
Gary308
3rd February 2013, 15:58
Interesting to see they’ve ditched their own style of nose slot from last year and copied Sauber:
http://f1.f-e-n.net/images/f1/2013/20130203/redbull_rb9_hires/160597164_10.jpg
JB (@)
3rd February 2013, 16:11
That was exactly what I was thinking….. so much for the slot being meant for cooling the drivers! I guess Newey is a sneaky fox!
As for the car itself…. Looks like an evolution of last year´s car… smaller pods, sort of the same rear of the car and this nose is even more hideous than Lotus´. Hopefully those small openings on the pods will give them enough cooling for all the goodies on board (NOT!!).
andae23 (@andae23)
3rd February 2013, 16:36
Yeah, noticed that too. In all fairness, Suaber’s idea was a very simple and clever solution and it’s nice to see that someone copied it
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
3rd February 2013, 21:08
Do you think they actually copied it though? The car was released a day after the Sauber; I doubt they could manufacture such an integral part of the car in that time (provided Saubers was kept secret, which likely it was).
Gary308
4th February 2013, 5:57
They actually have had just under 12 months to copy, which I think is enough time for a team like RBR.
Red Bull aren’t always the only innovators.
Brace (@brace)
3rd February 2013, 16:18
That’s just bull. They obviously think there’s an aerodynamic advantage (at least for their car) in having this sort of smoothed out step. That whole thing can’t weight more then a DVD disc without a case.
Of course, he’s not gonna say it, since it will justify rivals’ teams suspicion that there’s something to be gained from having that step. :)
Mads (@mads)
3rd February 2013, 18:58
@brace
Of cause they use the panel as an advantage. No F1 designer would use it if it wasn’t to some sort of advantage. Adding weight, for the sake of looks is just not an option, no matter how little that weight is. Even if the added weight will ultimately only affect their CoG ever so slightly.
Ferrari and McLaren seems to be using the panel in order to raise the nose of the car even further then the regulations allow. Lotus hasn’t bothered to do so and apparently thought that their solution was just as good.
I think Red Bull simply use it to clean up the airflow over the top of the car and stop the air from separating from the body. My guess is that its simply a more efficient solution of last years concept. I don’t think that there is any sort of trick attached to that half finished nose job that they are using.
William Brierty
3rd February 2013, 16:21
I only dabble in aerodynamics but from an aero perspective this is a much less exciting car than the MP4-28, or maybe even the F138. From what I have seen so far, and bear in mind the fact that these cars are only launch spec, this is in my opinion the current ranking…
1. McLaren MP4-28 (very exciting, some neat concepts)
2. Ferrari F138 (excellent improvements; a concept that could reach its “ceiling” after two seasons)
3. Sauber C32 (impressed, Mexican money used well)
4. Red Bull RB9 (simplistic rear design – probably just the launch spec)
5. Lotus E21 (simplistic too – almost certainly a launch “shell”)
6. Force India VJ06 (improved, but clearly designed on a shoestring)
7. Mercedes W04 (couldn’t tell, the lights were out)
I know this is just speculation but the RB9 launch is a insight into Red Bull’s demeanor. The fact that there were no photos, no live stream and fact that the RB9 had 2012 spec barge boards, front wing, rear wing, beam wing and an almost generic floor suggests to me that they’re a worried team. I think they’re right to be, the MP4-28 looks like a winner before its even turned a wheel.
just.daz (@nemo87)
3rd February 2013, 16:32
Could you elaborate more on why you think the mclaren looks so exciting on the aero side..?
I’m a huge mclaren fan but I was a little bit underwhelmed with the car.. Just looks beyond basic. Thought both the Ferrari and red bull look far more interesting with some crazy body contours and so on.. I really hope I’m wrong and hope the mclaren isn’t as ‘fat and slow’ as it looks.. :/ on 1st impressions anyways.
William Brierty
3rd February 2013, 19:01
This video should explain things for you, Anderson knows a lot more about aerodynamics than I do! Basically, all of the top guys have raised the nose to allow more air underneath the front of the chassis and have subsequently cut underneath the sidepods to allow for better use of the “coke-bottle” region just in front of the rear wheels. Also by raising the nose more air is pushing down on the front of the floor; perhaps the most crucial area on the car in terms of aero. The reason that the McLaren is so exciting is that a) they seem to have the “tidiest” package, b) it is an evolution of what was, statistically (in terms of average percentage deficit to pole position), the fastest car of 2012 and c) it is a great platform for development, particularly in terms of the front end and its rather “generic” nature, whereas Ferrari and Red Bull are now committed to a development pathway. Here’s an article in which Anderson outlines McLaren’s advantages over Red Bull. Trust me, its looking like a good year for McLaren fans.
Mads (@mads)
3rd February 2013, 19:11
But this is McLaren. Last year they proved why a fast car is not enough.
And with their best driver gone now it is now up to Perez, who will most likely be pretty erratic and not quite up to it for the first half of the season, and Button who can be great, until he hits a midseason slump in form which can be everything from a few races to a third of a season.
Even with the fastest car I wouldn’t put my money on them getting either of the championships.
William Brierty
3rd February 2013, 21:24
Exactly, that’s why I’m an Alonso fan. I said that the MP4-28 is good car, not that they’ll win the championship. So despite the blatant speed of the MP4-28, Alonso will win because McLaren are so good at wasting a good car, and Jenson is even better at whinging about a good car, see 2009. Also the poor qualifying speed of both drivers will become an issue, so I’m of to place a very large bet on Button winning the Australian GP, but the legendary skill and the blemish-less operational record of Ferrari and Alonso will make them unbeatable. Place your bets now.
just.daz (@nemo87)
3rd February 2013, 19:31
Great share thank you!
Now I feel even worse about Lewis leaving -.-
William Brierty
3rd February 2013, 21:26
Don’t feel bad, Hamilton will be the laughing in 2014.
just.daz (@nemo87)
3rd February 2013, 23:39
You think?
MahavirShah (@mahavirshah)
3rd February 2013, 17:33
All this talk from the teams and Eccelstone on bringing in new viewers and yet I find it extremely stupid that teams have such poor launches except one or two teams. Force India was impossible to stream, Mercedes launch website crashed, Red Bull’s is a launch in just the name, they could have very well showed a pic of the car and called it a day.
I really think teams miss the point when they can really attract attention. As fans all of us are anyways highly expectant of the new cars. I’m not advocating a common launch (although that was done I am sure , 2009 was it?) but atleast for God sakes get better servers and less paranoia!!!
vinicius.jlantunes (@vinicius-jlantunes)
4th February 2013, 0:42
Yeah, we just want to see the cars as we could see McLaren, Sauber, Ferrari, etc… why make it so complicated like Mercedes, or a “fake” launch as this Red Bull one…
(maybe I’m a bit grumpy due to all this time with no F1)
Piotr (@)
3rd February 2013, 19:11
Looks like a toy. Worst looking f1 car of the season?
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
3rd February 2013, 21:03
Honda and Toyota spent years developing their own teams and getting nowhere – well done Nissan!
vinicius.jlantunes (@vinicius-jlantunes)
3rd February 2013, 22:13
ugly
markp
4th February 2013, 0:05
Won every title for 3 years this is a slightly tidier version of those cars. Looks and sounds good to me. Whoever can beat this will probably win the title. Hope it’s Ferrari. Whoever you like this will be the main car to beat going by the past 3 years.
Brace (@brace)
4th February 2013, 1:51
So far, regarding cars launches, the underwhelm-ness of Red Bull’s launch is matched only by Mercedes’ online incompetence.
Toto
4th February 2013, 2:25
It seems to me that out of the cars launched so far the ferrari is the one with the most worked rear of the car and the car that will use the air the best if you look the nose and the body work that the ferrari has. Also the red bull is not longer a duck nose but a ravens nose.
Toto
4th February 2013, 2:38
If I’m not mistaken the red bull has a monkey seat while the ferrari and most of the others not.
Jono (@me262)
4th February 2013, 3:18
I suddenly feel like a red bull…and I don’t even like them
soundscape (@)
4th February 2013, 5:28
Team Cadbury 2013. =)
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
4th February 2013, 7:02
Another good looking car! Looks like we’re on to a good year for liveries :)
Tristan (@skipgamer)
4th February 2013, 9:47
Every year when I see Red Bull’s car I think… “Wow, there’s no way they can make a tighter package than this.”
And every year I’m proven wrong. There must be no doubt that they are the masters of squeezing the most in to the smallest spaces. Let’s see if the reliability holds up, it was very very close to not doing so last year.
Highstoned (@highstoned)
4th February 2013, 16:58
Too many colors for my taste, 4 makes a mess of things