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The race that turned perceptions of Red Bull around

Sebastian Vettel's victory in the Chinese Grand Prix 11 years ago today was the first for the team formerly known as Jaguar and a seminal moment in Formula 1 history, proving that its fun-loving exterior would not undermine its on-track output

Luke Smith Apr 19, 2020, 3:06 PM

When Red Bull Racing first joined the Formula 1 grid in 2005, few could have foreseen the success that lay ahead or the juggernaut it would one day become.

Rising out of the ashes of the old Jaguar operation, Red Bull brought an injection of fun and vibrancy to the F1 grid in its early days. The Energy Station motorhome - and its buoyant Monaco equivalent - changed the game for F1 hospitality, while major movie franchises such Star Wars and Superman movies both enjoyed on-car branding.

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Author Luke Smith

Luke Smith is Autosport’s Formula 1 reporter. Luke has been working in F1 as a journalist since 2013, initially alongside a History degree at University College London. Luke served as the lead F1 writer at American broadcaster NBC Sports from 2013-17 before spending two years as the F1 Editor for Crash.net. Luke joined Autosport for the 2020 season.

Luke is also a contributor to The New York Times for its F1 special reports, and has previously worked with Al Jazeera and CNBC, as well as hosting FIA press conferences. Outside of F1, Luke is a fan of sports and music, with an ever-growing vinyl collection, and has being bitten by the running bug in recent years. He also runs a surprisingly popular blog reviewing the often-terrible media centre coffee from his F1 travels.