This has been a long time coming. The RB17 was first teased to the world a little over two years ago, and now it has been seen for real at the 2024 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard. The covers have finally come off legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey’s passion project, during a special launch ceremony at Goodwood as part of Red Bull Racing’s 20th anniversary celebrations this weekend. It’s safe to say that this new hypercar has very much been worth the wait.
Newey has led a team of engineers from Red Bull Advanced Technologies to design and develop a track car that’s capable of delivering F1-equivalent lap times. Newey sat down to pen the first drawings of what would eventually become the RB17 as far back as the Christmas break of 2020. Three and a half years on, this is the final product.
The car revealed at the Festival of Speed is referred to as final, but it is still a relatively early concept that was finalized almost a year ago. Adrian Newey mentioned that development has continued since then. Therefore, the car that eventually reaches the hands of 50 incredibly lucky (and wealthy) owners will have been refined even further.
The price of the finest hypercar the greatest mind in motorsport design can muster when relieved of the shackles of both road and racing rules? Somewhere in the region of £5.8million.
Red Bull RB17: Downforce ad infinitum
So, what does that amount of money buy? Firstly, a car that looks like something out of a video game. Adrian Newey, the man behind the Aston Martin Valkyrie, has also created the Red Bull X2010 and its various successors featured in Gran Turismo. The inspiration from his past efforts is clearly evident in the RB17
The jet fighter-style canopy leads into an F1-style nose section that then opens out into a Le Mans Hypercar-style front end, and while the wheels are closed as per a Hypercar, the front and rear pushrod suspension has been left open to the elements. The rear end meanwhile bears a striking resemblance to the Valkyrie, voluminous venturi tunnels and all.
This physique is a sculpture of substance with style almost a happy side effect. Although great attention was paid to the looks of the RB17, you won’t be surprised to read this is a shape dictated by a hunger for downforce. There are 1.7 tonnes of it in all, produced through a mix of airflow, wake management and ground effect from the chiselled surfaces and skirts. There’s active aero, too, incorporated into the front and rear wings and diffuser for achieving the optimum balance of downforce and drag at all times.
Red Bull RB17: 15,000rpm V10 power
The details of what lies beneath the RB17’s bodywork are already known, but its 4.5-litre naturally aspirated V10 is worth mentioning again. Weighing less than 150kg, it produces more than 1,000PS (735kW) on its own. Paired with an electric motor, the overall power output reaches 1,200PS (883kW). This power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a carbon-fibre six-speed gearbox. One day soon, this machine will reach its 15,000rpm redline, and it’s certain to be incredible.
And should you be able to afford one you’ll be able to enjoy that noise with a friend, too, because the RB17 is a two-seater. It’s a conscious decision that not only allows for shared enjoyment, but also the option should you so wish of making the most of a driver coach while you’re out on track.
RB17: F1 lap capability, accessible performance
That might actually be the most interesting aspect of this car. From the very beginning, the philosophy has been to deliver a car that enables and assists its owner in their progression as a driver. Even a relatively inexperienced pilot will be able to get up to speed thanks to a number of design choices, namely the inclusion of systems put in place that allow you to tune the car to your liking from the driver’s seat. Active suspension was prioritised for the flexibility it offers. Ride height, roll, mechanical balance and damping can all be adjusted from the driver’s seat. There’s also hydraulically assisted power steering and ABS which will help you keep tabs on those carbon brakes.
Thought has even gone into the tyres for a personalised performance level. The RB17 will be offered with three dry tyre choices. At the most extreme end is a slick Michelin Confidential tyre that will produce plenty of grip if you’re able to keep them in an ideal temperature window. A more accessible slick tyre will be easier to manage and also offer a more consistent and predictable response under acceleration, while an ‘entry-level’ treaded tyre will provide those who need an experience more akin to a road car, with the added bonus of being able to drive in damp conditions. There will also be a full wet tyre available should the weather necessitate it.
It sounds as though there will be plenty of opportunities to drive the RB17 as well. Red Bull plans to organise a range of track events for owners to experience all of this performance potential on many of the world’s greatest race tracks. Each event will offer full support for the running and driving of the car, with opportunities to hone both the car and your driving style.
50 cars, each unique, from £5.8million
Much aside from your own experience of driving the car, each of these RB17s will be wholly bespoke. Customers will be able to choose their own paint colours, interior trims and many other styling details. The ethos here again however is to put the focus on performance first and foremost. Anyone who wants to get behind the ultimate track weapon will be opting to leave out anything superfluous to going as fast as possible. You can of course specify things like air-conditioning if you want to, but these all come with weight penalties, so the RB17 will in its most basic form do away with all of that, and even swap out the glass windscreen for an acrylic replacement.
The RB17 is intended to be the ultimate track car, and for now, at least, it sounds like it might well be. There’s more to come from the development team before it finds its way in the hands of customers, and that includes a full year of strenuous on-track testing to ensure each and every element has been tuned to the maximum.
You needn’t worry about Newey’s impending exit from Red Bull’s F1 team either, the RB17’s lead designer will remain onboard to oversee the completion of the project. He’ll also be in attendance at all future track sessions included in the ownership package.
This feels like a mammoth step in the development of the RB17. Now it has been revealed in full to the world, the pressure is on to make sure this delivers on every single promise. And if it does, it’s bound to become the poster car of a generation.
Report by Simon Ostler
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