Red Bull Formula 1 Racing has entered the hypercar arena.
On Friday, Red Bull Racing unveiled the track-exclusive RB17 hypercar at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Only 50 RB17s will be made, and price-wise, it’s unclear. Red Bull said that in 2022 the RB17 would cost around £5 million, or £6. 48 million.
The RB17 is powered by a mid-mounted naturally aspirated V10 engine that reaches a redline of 15,000 rpm. Red Bull did not detail the engine itself, but noted that it produced around 1,000 horsepower on its own. The gasoline engine is complemented by an electric motor that adds around two hundred HP for a combined powertrain power of 1,200 HP to the rear wheels. The electric motor will supply fuel to facilitate gear changes, but will also be used for first and reverse gears. The gearbox is made of carbon fiber.
Red Bull said the entire car weighs less than 1,984 pounds. It is capable of delivering lap times to F1 and the most sensitive speed is over 217mph.
Adrian Newey
The RB17 is all about aerodynamics. The culprit of the design is Adrian Newey, F1 legend and technical director of Red Bull Racing. One of Newey’s main objectives for the RB17 was to offer F1 driving pleasure, despite being a two-seater, so the pleasure can be enjoyed through a co-driver. Newey is also the driver of the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
In May, Newey made a surprise announcement that he would be leaving the Red Bull Racing team, even before completing the 2024 F1 season and the RB17.
The RB17 is said to have the most complex floor effects package in a car sold to the public. The car has an adjustable aerodynamic formula that adds skirts and has an active suspension formula. Newey designed the formulas to counteract the rebound and elevation of the nose; This effect, known as porpoising, has affected Mercedes-Benz AMG’s F1 cars in recent years.
One component of the package is a blown diffuser, which directs the exhaust gases above the diffuser to facilitate downforce. The downforce is said to adjust to the weight of the car at speeds of 120 mph and tops out at 3,750 pounds at 150 mph. The latter would save you it allows you to destroy the tyres and provide lap times to those in F1.
Two other wheel features will be available, such as traditional Michelin tires.
Although the RB17 is not road-legal, Red Bull said both one and both owners would be “welcome to the Red Bull family circle with a full sightseeing tour”. This will come with a series of on-track events at various circuits. Education on the progress of the driving force and the adaptation of both RB17s to meet the wishes and needs of the owner. Each build will be customized, and buyers will be able to specify one or both, from paint color to internal materials.
The care and maintenance of the RB17 will be controlled through Red Bull itself.
The car is called the RB17 because it was never used for the team’s Formula 1 race car. Red Bull’s 2021 F1 car was originally meant to be the RB17, but ended up being the RB16B.
Production of the RB17 is expected to begin in 2025 at Red Bull’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, UK.