Red Bull Racing, the dominant force that is dominating in F1, finally revealed its first production supercar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Friday. What is RB17? promises performance levels on par with Grand Prix-winning machines. However, this track-only supercar lacks any distinctive design cues from Red Bull’s actual F1 cars. The RB17’s biggest selling point may just be its access to Red Bull Racing’s inner circle.
The Red Bull supercar has a 1,000-horsepower naturally aspirated V10 engine paired with a 200-horsepower electric motor. The drivetrain is a semi-stressed chassis component like an F1 car. The two-seat carbon fiber monocoque RB17 weighs just 1,984 pounds and can generate up to 3,747 pounds of downforce.
The RB17 nickname stems from the F1 team’s car naming system and delays in world championship rules caused by the pandemic. The rulebook focuses on ground effects The RB16 currently in use in F1 was originally scheduled for introduction in 2021 but was delayed by a season. Red Bull felt that too much work from the 2020 RB16 had been transferred to its 2021 counterpart, so it was named the RB16B. The RB17 name has not been used yet, as the 2022 title defender is called the RB18.
While there are a few subtle nods Red Bull’s current cars, It doesn’t really pay homage to Red Bull’s iconic title-winning machine other than the fact that it was designed by the same entity. The shape of the sidepods and rear diffuser appear to be a very simplified version of what’s on the current RB20. Legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey has said:
“I have been contemplating the idea of taking on the challenge of designing our own Hypercar, from concept to delivery, for many years and it has been an amazing project and journey. To finally lift the veil and see the RB17 come to life is truly remarkable. The RB17 Hypercar embodies everything we stand for: power, speed and undeniable beauty. It is highly adaptable in its capabilities and we have made sure to design it as a two-seater so you can enjoy driving at F1 speeds with a friend or partner.”
The RB17 was Adrian Newey’s last project before he left Red Bull Racing after this year. Red Bull is only making 50 RB17 supercars, each priced at $6 million. The perks that come with purchasing one make the spec monster look unappealing. Like Ferrari and McLaren, the team will offer race day rides to allow owners to push the RB17 as hard as they can. RB17 owners will also be given inside access to the racing team includes invitations to group events and time in the simulator.
