Red Bull Racing, the reigning dominant force in F1, finally revealed its first production hypercar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Friday. The RB17 promises a level of performance equal to Grand Prix-winning machinery. However, the track-only hypercar lacks any distinctive design cues from Red Bull’s actual F1 cars. The RB17’s best selling point might just be the access it offers inside Red Bull Racing.
The Red Bull hypercar features a 1,000-horsepower naturally aspirated V10 engine mated to a 200-hp electric motor. The power unit is a semi-stressed member of the chassis just like an F1 car. The RB17 with its two-seater carbon-fiber monocoque only weighs 1,984 pounds and can produce up to 3,747 pounds of downforce.
The RB17 moniker derives from the F1 team’s car naming system and the world championship’s pandemic-provoked rules delay. The ground effects-focused ruleset currently used in F1 was initially scheduled for an introduction in 2021 but was delayed by a season. Red Bull felt that so much work from the 2020 RB16 was carried into the 2021 challenger that it was named RB16B. The RB17 name remained unused as the 2022 title defender was called the RB18.
While there are a few subtle nods to Red Bull’s current cars, it doesn’t really celebrate Red Bull’s iconic title-winning machinery other than the same entity designed it. The sidepod and rear diffuser shapes seemed to be a very simplified version of what’s on the current RB20. Legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey said:
“I had been mulling around the idea to take on the challenge to design our very own Hypercar, from concept to delivery, for many years and it has been a magnificent project and journey. For it to finally be the day we pull the covers off and see the birth of the RB17, is truly remarkable. The RB17 Hypercar embraces everything we stand for: undeniable power, speed and beauty. It is very adaptable in its abilities, and we made sure to design it as a two-seater so that the thrill of driving at F1 speeds can be enjoyed with a friend or partner.”
The RB17 is Adrian Newey’s final project before he departs Red Bull Racing after this year. Red Bull is only producing 50 RB17 hypercars, each selling for $6 million. The perks offered alongside the purchase make the spec-sheet monster look uninspiring. Like Ferrari and McLaren, the team will offer track-day outings to allow owners to push the RB17 as hard as they can. RB17 owners will also be given inside access to the racing team including invites to team events and time in the simulator.
