“It’s arguably more confusing than a Formula 1 car,” Adrian Newey said on the Talking Bull podcast this week, and given the long list of updates he received on the Red Bull RB17 hypercar, adding a 15,000-rpm naturally aspirated V10, we’re not surprised he said that. Red Bull’s head of global generation was on his employer’s podcast to provide an update on the upcoming RB17 hypercar, a vehicle that, until now, has been a mystery.
He explained when and how the car’s gestation began, recalled a previous no-holds-barred task that provided fun for it, revealed weight and strength goals, and explained how the car targets its ambitions.
By the way, this is an established two-seater car, those goals are to match the lap times of a Formula 1 car.
We know he’s already very interested in the Aston Martin Valkyrie (in fact, he says, Red Bull employees, he adds, have five), but even this isn’t Newey’s first project with a car outside of Formula 1. In 2010, Sony came close to it, along with Red Bull, creating an endless monster to use in Gran Turismo. The result was the Red Bull X1, later renamed the Red Bull X2010.
A decade later, in the 2020 offseason, COVID-19 had made its presence known and, bored with the December break, Newey began drawing. Why not concentrate on the successor to the RB16 F1 this time around?Because it has become the RB16B; Thanks to a regulatory freeze, the 2020 car was slightly modified for 2021. As a result, the RB17 name was never used, and Newey sought to fill that void with the hypercar, which he obviously described as a track-only vehicle. .
Despite this, it probably wouldn’t be scary. In addition, trainers and simulators will be provided, and there will be special weekends to drive the car, in which Max will likely participate. RB needs buyers to see this as a club of the Red Bull family and all its attractions.
Last month, Red Bull Racing CEO Christian Horner described the RB17 as “Adrian Newey unleashed,” promising that this exciting machine would take advantage of things like a blown diffuser and flexible side skirts, maximizing aerodynamics. The latter is a technology traditional automakers have been looking into with increasing frequency of late. As mentioned, while Horner teased the possibility of a roadgoing version being under consideration, it seems that such a thing wouldn’t really be unleashing Mr. Newey, would it? That said, it will be somewhat comfortable, but let’s talk about the engine.
Newey says the car has to be impressive, like art, and a part of that has to be emotional: anything that relies heavily on the element of sound. As a result, Red Bull Advanced Powertrains will no longer produce a twin-turbo V8 just yet. a 1,000 horsepower naturally aspirated V10 engine capable of reaching 10,000 rpm. Newey pointed out the emotional nature of such a beast, recalling the noisy V10s of F1 cars of the late ’90s as a typical example.
This will be complemented by a two-hundredhp electric motor that will manage first and reverse gear.
Unsurprisingly, a carbon composite bathtub is planned, which will make the RB17 even lighter than a Miata, with a target weight of less than 900 kilograms (less than 1,984 pounds). But despite its unique purpose of being the most productive track vehicle possible, this lightweight device will be comfortable and have more internal space than a Valkyrie, adding more legroom for taller riders.
It will also feature active suspension that will enable surprisingly good damping, but this is more a requirement due to the incredible downforce, which will be carefully limited to a maximum of 1,700 kg/3,748 lbs. Newey says the RB17 will produce its own weight in downforce at 120 mph and achieve maximum downforce (almost twice its own weight) at 150 mph. After 150 mph, Newey says the downforce simply “bleeds off.”
To achieve this, ordinary efficiency is needed, and Newey says it “approaches the levels of birds of prey. “Simply put, no car ever built (adding up the Le Mans and F1 drivers) has ever achieved such a clever balance between downforce and slippery load.
It’s important to note that the active suspension also allows one to carefully fine-tune the mechanical balance of the car front/rear. If you’re a regular F1 viewer, you may hear that some drivers prefer “a pointy front end” or “a looser rear.” This refers to the mechanical grip they dial into the car, chiefly through suspension, aerodynamics, and differential settings.
Newey continually emphasises the importance of adaptability, saying that the car deserves to be suitable for other driving styles, deserves to be fun on a wide variety of circuits (although he mentioned Silverstone, Spa and Suzuka as places where he thinks it would shine), and deserves to be “not intimidating”. Despite this, he assures that it will surely be exciting. We suspect there will be other variable configurations like a GT3 RS, an adjustable traction formula, and other customization spaces to help build trust.
But in the hands of a professional driver, Newey says he will be able to adapt to F1’s lap times. Perhaps it can also be effective and reliable enough for Le Mans. Max Verstappen thinks so.
To achieve this noble goal, Michelin is creating a tailor-made tyre, especially for the RB17. Michelin refuses to participate in F1 because projects like this are better.
Parts are being made lately, but a full-scale version of the RB17 has already been finalized and will be unveiled “over the summer. “Bench testing will also take place this year, and in 2025 the hypercar will take to the track for the first time. Red Bull intends to show it at its home Grand Prix in Austria at the end of June or beginning of July.
Production is expected to begin in 2026 and, as is known, only 50 sets will be built. Newey says he’s booking one and we’re sure Verstappen has done the same. We also can’t imagine Horner turning down this opportunity, and depending on what happens in F1’s stupid seasons between now and 2026, some other assignment could serve to trap a more sensible driving force to steer clear of a long-term contract. Then there will definitely be one for the museum, so we think you will only be able to buy forty-five copies.
Speaking of which, Adrian Newey’s son, Harry, is on sales rate. You only want £5 million/$6. 3 million.