What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch

Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years

Published Feb 23, 2021, 10:51 AM

The extra B is not a typo; Red Bull, in naming its 2021 chariot the RB16B, has not even considered the pretence that its latest Formula 1 car is an all-new machine. The team's figures have been open about the amount of carryover from last year's car and, if you look at the form-book over the past few seasons, that might play into its favour.

Red Bull often ends a season with a much stronger turn of pace than it begins one. Everyone's favourite purveyor of caffeine-laced, acid reflux-inducing, ambiguously flavoured beverages usually concludes a season having filled F1's fans with the hope that Mercedes might finally be challenged in the next term. Then, when the new season rolls around, Red Bull gets hit by teething troubles with its new car and opens the door for Mercedes to walk to a collection of early wins. And thus, the cycle continues.

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Author Jake Boxall-Legge

Jake studied engineering at university, as his original ambition was to design racing cars. He was bad at that, and thus decided to write about them instead with an equally limited skillset. The above article is a demonstration of that. In his spare time, Jake enjoys people, places, and things.