The first pictures of the new Red Bull RB13 for 2017 have been revealed.
A video of the car released by the team on the day before testing is due to begin revealed little of the RB13’s details. However the car’s nose, which appears to incorporate a vent, immediately drew attention.
Team principal Christian Horner described the RB13 as “one of the prettiest cars we’ve designed and made.”
“The geometry of the car under these new regulations, the proportions looks right,” he said. “It looks mean, it looks fast.”
“It’s that old adage ‘if it looks right, it tends to go alright’. And this car for sure looks right.”
Chief technical officer Adrian Newey agreed the new regulations for 2017 are a change for the better.
“There’s a feeling, which I do agree with that since we went to narrow-track cars back in 1998 the cars always looked a bit out-of-proportion,” he said. “Quite a narrow car, reasonably wide tyres, and very long cars, increasingly.”
“So the proportions look strange. By going back to a wider track with a wider tyres, proportionally they should look better.”
The RB13 will have its first run when testing begins at the Circuit de Catalunya tomorrow. “It always an anxious moment before the car runs for the first time, for it to drive out of the garage down the pit lane,” said Horner.
“The first thing you want to see is it comes back at the end of the lap. But it’s an exciting moment to see the car break cover.”
After winning two races last year and finishing second in the world championship the team has set it sights on competing with Mercedes in 2017.
“Mercedes for sure they’re the triple world champions, they’re the team to beat,” said Horner. “They set the bar pretty high but that’s what we’re aspiring to.”
“The driver line-up we have is fantastic, we’ve had great stability in the team, and we’re excited about the year ahead.”
Break with tradition, #breaksuperstition 🙌
The #RB13 🎥👉https://t.co/LP557OOSVb pic.twitter.com/KnojYm9LPA— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 26, 2017
Previous Red Bull F1 cars
- Red Bull RB12 (2016) pictures
- Red Bull RB11 (2015) pictures
- Red Bull RB10 (2014) pictures
- Red Bull RB9 (2013) pictures
- Red Bull RB8 (2012) pictures
- More Red Bull F1 cars
2017 F1 cars
- Force India turns pink with new sponsorship deal
- Pictures: Toro Rosso present their new car for 2017
- Compare the new 2017 Haas with last year’s model
- Pictures: Haas reveal their second Formula One car
- Pictures: Red Bull reveal their “prettiest” F1 car for 2017
just.daz (@nemo87)
26th February 2017, 12:05
Red Bull reveal they’re new line of hoovers..
Does look good though.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
26th February 2017, 12:05
It’s only one photo so far, but that looks pretty standard if I’m honest. Expected more bells and whistles.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
26th February 2017, 12:18
small sidepods, like the McLaren look almost slightly angled inwards, very undercut though and sculpted which I suppose is good, bit nothing as fancy as the Ferrari or the Mercedes. Maybe they figure simplicity is key.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
26th February 2017, 12:20
(Most likely, and typical Red Bull, is that this is just for today and come testing the car is vastly more intricate. But I don’t want to wait till tomorrow)
Schudha
26th February 2017, 12:53
Lucky for us, we get another treat tomorrow then ;)
Markp
26th February 2017, 13:43
Like McLaren, Williams etc we have seen the basic shapes. The bits Ferrari and Merc have are stick on bits, if you removed the bits then look at Ferrari and McLaren. By the end of the week all these cars will have more and more stick on aero bits put on them. The basic car shapes will not change so wait until next week whe we can all see multiple pictures of cars with various bolt on bits.
WilliamB (@william-brierty)
26th February 2017, 16:14
@hahostolze – This is just a launch mock-up akin to the “RB9” or “RB8” mannequins that were used a test-bed in the first days of testing in 2012 and 2013. The fully fledged Newey masterpieces didn’t turn up until the final test. Looking here, this “RB13” has the RB12’s rear bodywork, the RB12’s tower bargeboards and front-wing elements suspiciously similar to those Red Bull were running in Abu Dhabi. If anything it is pretty encouraging that Red Bull are going to such efforts to be secret squirrel out of the box.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
26th February 2017, 18:47
@william-brierty that’s an intriguing (and probably true) perspective, hadn’t thought of it that way. Ta.
Uzair Syed (@ultimateuzair)
26th February 2017, 12:05
Looks very nice! I do kinda wish that the bull was extended to the sharkfin like their 2009 and 2010 cars.
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
26th February 2017, 12:11
It’s almost as if they put it on the car on the very last moment.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
26th February 2017, 12:21
they probably did. Not sculpted nor is the Bull’s tail on it
glacierre (@glacierre)
26th February 2017, 12:08
That nose sets it squarely on the ugliest category…
Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
26th February 2017, 12:19
That’s a crossing between a tapir and a shark now… Difficult to say anything based on that picture and video which shows more things related to the 13 number than their car. Quite disapointing compared to other launches. At least Mercedes and McLaren had a proper way to present their car.
Indiana
26th February 2017, 20:10
The nose might be ugly…but it has a pretty important function. Ever heard of a W-Duct? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ9cFis55xM
Look at this ;)
t3x
27th February 2017, 4:28
Yes you are right about the WDuct, but it is illegal now isn’t it? you are only allowed to have a whole at the front for driver cooling.
Konstantinos Spatharas (@revenger210)
26th February 2017, 12:08
The front nose looks kinda horrible to me, like a thumb that sticks out, even though it’s painted black.
Otherwise, the livery looks like last year’s, and I liked last year’s livery, so it’s all fine to me c:
I keep hoping they’ll use the shark fin to showcase the driver’s number tho ._. so much empty unused space back there.
Micheal (@shakengandulf)
26th February 2017, 12:09
There seems to be a hole at the nose tip.. never seen that before.
Simeon Simeonoff (@simeonoff)
26th February 2017, 12:13
Yeah, that sucks…. literally.
Micheal (@shakengandulf)
26th February 2017, 12:17
Lmao
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
26th February 2017, 14:42
USB port?
Bustertje
26th February 2017, 12:13
That fin has to be a dummy. They didn’t even bother to extend the bull on it. Even the lines are cut off.
regs (@regs)
26th February 2017, 12:13
Meh, another fail for this season. Ugly nose cone again, ugly wings, ugly fin, looks disproportional.
Micheal (@shakengandulf)
26th February 2017, 12:47
Whats ugly about the wings?
regs (@regs)
26th February 2017, 13:28
Shapes.
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
26th February 2017, 12:13
Ugliest nose I’ve seen so far. Mid to back end of the car looks similair to the McLaren. I notice a small stripe above the air intake, underneats the Citrix logo. What is it?
N
26th February 2017, 12:16
Thats a Puma logo
N
26th February 2017, 12:16
Oh no you mean to the left :D i suppose another air-duct
tiger84
26th February 2017, 14:34
the ugliest nose prize goes to ferrari 2nd year in a row
Yoseph
26th February 2017, 12:15
Is it the angle of the photo or does the car look shorter in length?
nelson piquet
26th February 2017, 13:17
angle
cris
26th February 2017, 12:15
Look good and by far the most simple looking car. Just compare it’s side pods with the Ferrari.
petebaldwin (@)
26th February 2017, 12:16
Hoover should have paid to have a logo on the nose of that car…
Adam (@rocketpanda)
26th February 2017, 12:17
It looks good but it doesn’t look anywhere near as complex as the Ferrari, or even the Mercedes designs. In that regard it seems to have more in common with the Williams – neither car seem particularly changed from last year, unlike some of the others that are quite uniquely designed.
Whether that’s a good thing or not I guess we’ll find out.
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
26th February 2017, 14:18
@rocketpanda a part of me can’t help but think that either they are sandbagging or they begin with a simple design to test and have lots of spare parts in the garage. The McLaren also seem too simple to be the racing version.
Hugh (@hugh11)
26th February 2017, 12:18
Intriguing. Looks kinda standard, like the Williams, not much special aero stuff, unless they aren’t showing that yet.
Hugh (@hugh11)
26th February 2017, 12:20
The livery does look good as ever though.
Goosaroo
26th February 2017, 12:19
In my opinion best looking car, with Renault being a good second.
Don’t agree on any of the nose and sharkfin comments…
Simeon Simeonoff (@simeonoff)
26th February 2017, 12:20
People were making fun of the SF14T back in the day, some event calling it a leaf blower. Don’t know what this is, but it either sucks or blows.
G. (#F1insperations) (@greggriffiths)
26th February 2017, 12:21
I love it. By the longest strip the nicest car this year, even if it is basically the same as last year. There’s enough change to keep it exiting. Pull it off RB. You will look better on the podium
:)
Damon (@damon)
26th February 2017, 12:21
The the good things about the car is how the livery treats the shark fin and the straight-forwardness of the winglets on the sidepods.
I rank this car at the bottom of the cars so far, with only the Ferrari being uglier.
Markp
26th February 2017, 12:54
F.I ugliest for me. Ferrari and Merc the best. Love how people see things so different. Overall though all the cars look better than anything from 2009-2016.
Sviatoslav (@)
26th February 2017, 12:27
Looks standard to me. Nothing interesting.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
26th February 2017, 12:28
The part where the race number is and the nose starts dipping is intriguing though. Two bulges? Or a duct and a bulge?
Simeon Simeonoff (@simeonoff)
26th February 2017, 12:33
@hahostolze It’s an S-Duct. You can get a glimpse of it from the overhead shots in the video.
Kevin
26th February 2017, 12:28
That front wing!!!!
sm
26th February 2017, 12:28
and people were saying the McLaren looks under developed… I wonder what Red Bull are hiding…
I bet it’s all the stuff you can’t see that really counts
lets hope both McLaren and Red Bull have something up their sleave
Boudi
26th February 2017, 12:34
I also hope, but i’m always unlucky
Micheal (@shakengandulf)
26th February 2017, 15:16
And since we don’t have actual shots yet.. id say thats likely.
Damon (@damon)
26th February 2017, 12:32
So far for me it’s:
Beautiful:
1. McLaren
2. Sauber (aka vintage Ligier)
Nice:
3. Mercedes
Ok:
4. Williams, Renault
Ugly:
6. Red Bull
7. Force India
8. Ferrari
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
26th February 2017, 12:38
You rate the Ferrari that low? Why? A red car can never be that ugly.
Damon (@damon)
26th February 2017, 12:52
@spafrancorchamps Here’s why:
1. The nose – looks like a plank broken mid way with no curvature to make, with tiny ugly winglets in that particular place for more damage as well.
2. The ugly broken shaped hump (how do we call the thing behind the driver’s head with the air intlet?), made even more ugly by the line of the white livery and shark fin. The side view is awful because of that.
3. The colour scheme on the front wing consisting of segments look bad.
Geoff
26th February 2017, 12:44
Someone else’s observation, but we shouldn’t loose sight of overall aerodynamic philosophy. The Mercedes looks amazing but then last year the RB was quite simple in many respects. Personally, I’m just in awe of all these amazing designers.
Tasdid jaman
26th February 2017, 14:35
Let’s wait and see which one is the fastest.
tiger84
26th February 2017, 14:36
I agree… i miss the sf15t style of nose. the renault is nice and agressive look too
Travis Daye (@travis-daye)
26th February 2017, 12:34
Surprisingly simple… Tiny sidepod openings though! For me Newey’s aero design style has always been expressed in the big gestures; the extreme angle of rake in recent cars for example; the kind of designs that are born on a drawing board (which I believe he still uses). I’m not saying that red bull aren’t capable of extremely complex aero philosophy, but if red bull are Newtonian physics, Mercedes current designs are analogous to quantum mechanics!
Simeon Simeonoff (@simeonoff)
26th February 2017, 12:46
@travis-daye Let’s not forget Newtonian physics couldn’t explain the relationship of more than two bodies in relation with one another, hence why we needed a more complex solution as provided by Laplace. I really, really want to see Mercedes challenged this year, but this RedBull doesn’t give wings.
John H (@john-h)
26th February 2017, 14:59
Three body problem solved @simeonoff? Pray tell…
Simeon Simeonoff (@simeonoff)
26th February 2017, 15:46
@john-h you can solve a three-object problem for objects that have constant gravitational force, mass, and velocity.
JW
26th February 2017, 12:49
I had often wondered why teams didn’t have the s duct inlet at the nose…
Great avant garde art cinema introduction!
I suspect that the Red Bull that shows up to race will have more complex barge boards and other elements. Looks to have a very tidy rear end.
Jorge Olivier
26th February 2017, 22:50
Because rules don’t allow, I believe. I wonder if this is a Newey case of “it’s not a hole but a slot that goes from surface to surface”.
Dom (@3dom)
26th February 2017, 15:19
@travis-daye as well as the sidepod air intakes, in general the red bull usually has the smallest overall size for the sidepods. I love them on the rb6 in particular.
One particular point of note is that they’ve gone from an oval shaped air intake on the airbox to a rounded triangular shaped one for the first time since before 2009.
Testing will be really interesting as concepts and elevate get added to the cars. I still can’t forget the stir that was created when red bull showed up to the final day of the 2010 test with painted on periscope exhausts to hide the fact they’d moved the exhaust below the car to blow the diffuser, everyone was wondering where the real exhausts were! Pure genius! Wonder if we’ll see any game changers this year?
KimiRaikkonen1207 (@kimiraikkonen1207)
26th February 2017, 16:07
I believe they are purely releasing a simplified version of their real car. In testing, they will probably show something much more radical – I think they have something to hide.
Broke84 (@broke84)
26th February 2017, 12:43
I don’t think any of these cars are as ugly as people make out. For me the thumb tip was never really an issue. The phallic noses and steps on the noses were horrific and people seemed to have forgotten the winglets circa 96. In my humble opinion these are the best looking group of cars since 2008, the shark fins arent that bad. Regarding the livery it’s interesting how people find cars without sponsorship bland. I rather like it as teams can choose liveries for the brand rather than sponsors. You never people complaining every year that the Ferrari is red again.
Broke84 (@broke84)
26th February 2017, 12:45
Meant to say “you never hear people complaining every year that the Ferrari is red”
Dom (@3dom)
26th February 2017, 15:21
Yeah certainly agree that the phallic noses and step noses were the worst @broke84.
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<Dom (@3dom)
26th February 2017, 15:23
Look at this monstrosity http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/11/26/mercedes-end-2014-top-mclaren-struggle/abu-dhabi-day-2/
Broke84 (@broke84)
26th February 2017, 16:11
Grim innit? Almost as horrible as my skoda roomster.