Red Bull RB9-Renault (pre-launch speculation)

[raymondu999]

Intego - I think the panel would cover up the letterbox, so...

But isn't the panel optional rather than mandatory? I read that a few teams are quite happy with their weird noses and don't intend to bother putting anything on to make them look pretty.

Yes - but if as we suspect that the letterbox is basically a workaround to the aero effects of the step - then they probably would put on the panel.

[heho07]

Please change thread name to Infiniti Red Bull RB9-Renault (pre-launch speculation).

[raymondu999]

Please change thread name to Infiniti Red Bull RB9-Renault (pre-launch speculation).

Infiniti is a title sponsor - which isn't usually included in thread titles. The only exception is, for some weird reason - the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27

I say the title should stay.

[heho07]

I think Infiniti is part of team name.

[raymondu999]

It's not. "Infiniti Red Bull" is basically like "Vodafone McLaren" - Vodafone is title sponsor, Infiniti is title sponsor.

It's NOT part of team name

[Nando]

I´m a bit scared now since the two established teams could not take down Newey when he was hurt and wounded.
Now he´s coming out guns blazing and hopefully a car that is excellent right out of the box.

I think if they keep the nose bump it will be to divert attention from somewhere else.

[timbo]

I´m a bit scared now since the two established teams could not take down Newey when he was hurt and wounded.
Now he´s coming out guns blazing and hopefully a car that is excellent right out of the box.

Who knows? Personally, I think stable regs hurt Newey, as others can catch up.

[Bomber_Pilot]

It's not. "Infiniti Red Bull" is basically like "Vodafone McLaren" - Vodafone is title sponsor, Infiniti is title sponsor.

It's NOT part of team name

From next year on, they will be called Infiniti Red Bull Racing

http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport ... 96259.html

[Bomber_Pilot]

I´m a bit scared now since the two established teams could not take down Newey when he was hurt and wounded.
Now he´s coming out guns blazing and hopefully a car that is excellent right out of the box.

I think if they keep the nose bump it will be to divert attention from somewhere else.

A car that is excellent right out of the box - you could say the same about mclaren to a certain degree, and since the rules won't change that much, other teams will catch up. But to find out by how much the pecking order will change or wether it stays the same, we will have to wait till march.

EDIT: timbo beat me to it

[raymondu999]

It's not. "Infiniti Red Bull" is basically like "Vodafone McLaren" - Vodafone is title sponsor, Infiniti is title sponsor.

It's NOT part of team name

From next year on, they will be called Infiniti Red Bull Racing

http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport ... 96259.html

Infiniti is as much a part of the team name as Vodafone is to McLaren

[FoxHound]

Infiniti will also be supplying tech to the team.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104557


So they are more part of the team than Vodafone to McLaren ever would be.

[raymondu999]

Yes, they are. But in terms of being part of the name, they're just a title sponsor, as reflected in the FIA entry list.

[Holm86]

Who gives a sh** about the name? Focus on the car itself.

[marcush.]

Was RB8 really the car to beat?It took them fairly long to get on top of their development direction and only after the summerbreak they really were the ones to beat...but Mclaren was always near speedwise capable to beat them on merit.

Vettel clearly came alive when the car was sorted ,before he was beaten by Webber.

RedBull owes this one Mclaren as these had overall the better package but somehow shot themselves into their feet with too many technical issues and happenings +Buttons strange fall of the cliff for a few races.

I don´t see dominance .

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Their approach to next years races will have to change. this year their tactics to get pole and manage the race from the front came undone when the McLAren was faster. SO Newey needs to get more flexibilty form the cars set up and perhaps a little etra from the engine to get some bhp back. they were seldom the fasters car out there but they were one of the more reliable (except for Alternator issue).
they need more straight line speed for overtaking. Ferrari and McLaren had this but lacked the downforce to keep up through the corners.

I think RedBUll's concept is right but they need a aero package that gives them the ability for less drag whilst maintaining downforce levels. So I expect a refinement of their current package. Probably a much neater rear end and tunnel, a passive DDRS and more efficient rear and front wing profiles. Probably not a very pronounced visual change but very subtle details

I think Red Bull have some thinking to do. About what kind of car they want & how they set it up. Obviously they're the team that want to maximize DF throughout the track, even if it means being a bit slower on the straights.
Their forte' is to Qualify P1, start the race, get 2 super quick laps in, open the gap to more than 1 second so DRS isn't applicable, and control the race from there.

Problem is, Abu Dhabi changed everything, IMHO. Had Vettel raced with the exact same car he Quali'd with, he would have been lucky to get to P8 at the absolute most, even with all the wrecks.

But RB knew as much an incurred an additional penalty to change the set up. This set up allowed Seb to charge through the field and get a spot on the podium.

Question is will this experience change Red Bull's thinking on their cars and will they start to do something different? They showed in AD they could have a high top speed, sacrifice DF, and still be competitive. Very competitive. So the question remains, will they change their philosophy on their cars a bit since it was quite successful, or will they ignore it and continue down the same path?