RED BULL RENAULT
--- TEAM INFO ---
TEAM OWNER - Dietrich Mateschitz
TEAM COLOURS - Dark Blue, Red, Yellow
CAR - Red Bull RB5
ENGINE SUPPLIER - Renault
TYRES - Bridgestone
TECHINCAL DIRECTOR(S) - Adrian Newey
MAJOR SPONSORS - Red Bull, Rauch, Total, Metro
--- STATS ---
FIRST SEASON - 2005
GRANDS PRIX - 72
WORLD DRIVERS TITLES - 0
WORLD CONSTRUCTORS TITLES - 0
WINS - 0
POLE POSITIONS - 0
POINTS SCORED - 103
--- DRIVERS ---
14 - Mark Webber (Australia)
15 - Sebastian Vettel (Germany)
TEST DRIVER - Brendon Hartley (Australia)
Like Williams, this is a make or break season for the team owned by the energy drinks magnate Dietrich Mateschitz, in the 4 years since he bought the team from Ford (the team at the time was known as Jaguar) their performances have been stable but for large periods they have flattered to decieve, just when they have the inklings of positive progress, development of the current car seems to stop, focus shifts towards next seasons car and their season just fritters away, but this year it is expected to be very very different as again like Williams they attempt to take advantage of the new regulations, but unlike Williams, they have made a very significant change to their driver lineup, one of only 2 teams this winter to do so.
Mark Webber stays with the team as defacto number 1 driver but alongside him now is one of Formula 1's brightest and most talented young stars Sebastian Vettel, who managed to take a stunning lights to flag win last season for the sister team Toro Rosso in Italy, before going on to finish an incredible 8th in the championship and by far the best privateer driver, he replaces David Coulthard who has now retired to become a team ambassador and a pundit for the BBC's new F1 coverage.
The car itself is designed by former Williams and McLaren designer Adrian Newey and if it is to be believed, this will be his final car. Unlike most of the teams on the grid, Red Bull have opted for a high and narrow nose design to allow space for underbody aerodynamics, but the most stiking feature on the car is at the rear with an old skool style rear suspension layout, plus their partnership with Renault has brought them a new and improved engine which both they and the works Renault team will use this season.
Pre-season testing has done a lot to suggest that Red Bull will be a lot further up the grid than before, especially Sebastian Vettel who has shown blstering pace but there have been suggestions that the team has been testing under qualifying conditions and with Red Bull's recent poor reliability record, it remains to be seen whether Red Bull can finally hack it at the business end of the grid, still though i think Vettel will show an improvement and with a bit of luck should deliver at least the team's first ever win, Webber however i think will be stuck in the midfield and maybe be out of a drive at the end of the season with talented drivers like Mika Maki, Jaime Alguersuari, Daniel Ricciardo and fellow Aussie Brendon Hartley coming through the ranks of Red Bull's junior development programme.
2009 PREDICTION FOR RED BULL
DRIVERS
Mark Webber - 17th
Sebastian Vettel - 8th
CONSTRUCTORS
8th
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