Red Bull to build track-focused hypercar
Red Bull will build its own hypercar that will retail at over $7.3million, with Adrian Newey’s track-only design intended to match Formula 1 performance.
The RB17 – so-named to fill the gap between last year’s title-winning RB16B and the current RB18 – will be designed and manufactured in-house by the four-time constructors’ champions, and have input from current drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Only 50 examples of the car will be produced by Red Bull Applied Technologies (RBAT), starting in 2025, and will be a two-seater track only car.
“The RB17 marks an important milestone in the evolution of Red Bull Advanced Technologies, now fully capable of creating and manufacturing a series production car at our Red Bull Technology Campus,” team principal and RBAT CEO Christian Horner said. “Further, the RB17 marks the first time that a car wearing the Red Bull brand has been available to collectors.”
The car will be powered by a V8 hybrid engine and will feature “the most advanced ground effect package available in a series production car”, with chief technical officer Adrian Newey central to the program.
“The RB17 distills everything we know about creating championship-winning Formula 1 cars into a package that delivers extreme levels of performance in a two-seat track car,” Newey said. “Driven by our passion for performance at every level, the RB17 pushes design and technical boundaries far beyond what has been previously available to enthusiasts and collectors.”
Set to be sold at £5m ($6.12m) plus tax, Newey says the RB17 allows him to chase his own personal interests alongside F1, having done something similar with the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
“Certainly having other projects on the go I do find stimulating. When I started working on the car that has become the (Valkyrie) hypercar in 2014, it was with that in mind after having a slump in competitiveness because our power unit was a bit behind and I wanted something else to put my energy into as well as Formula 1.
“I’m intrigued by different avenues and I like to apply what I’ve learned over the years into a few things as well as Formula 1. So, yes, it is stimulating for me and something that I put some weekend hours into.
“Indeed the first drawing of this car was actually done over Christmas in 2020 to 2021 period because it was a covid year and we didn’t go skiing or to South Africa where my wife is from.
“So I used that time instead to start drawing this. I’ve been in Formula 1 for four decades, so I find it tremendously enjoyable, but I do like to have other interests as well and this is one of them.”
For more information: www.racer.com
