Red Bull Racing 2009 Preview: Will 2009 Be Their Breakthrough Year?

In our next 2009 team preview, Red Bull Racing are the team under the microscope. Can they be one of the teams to benefit most from the 2009 rules. Me and Paul feel that could well be the case.

STATS AND INFORMATION

Red Bull Racing Renault

Team Principal: Christian Horner
Technical Director: Adrian Newey
Team Base: Milton Keynes, UK

Chassis: RB5
Engine: Renault V8
Tyres: Bridgestone

Grand Prix: 72
Wins: 0
Podiums: 2
Poles: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
Points: 103
2008 Position: 7th (29 points)

Last Five Seasons

2004 – seventh (10pts)*
2005 – seventh (34pts)
2006 – seventh (16pts)
2007 – fifth (24pts)
2008 – seventh (29pts)

*As Jaguar Racing

First Driver: Mark Webber
Nationality: Australian
Age: 32
GPs started: 121
Wins: 0
Podiums: 2
Pole Positions: 0
Fastest Laps: 0
Points: 100
Best Season: 10th (2003, 2005)

Second Driver: Sebastian Vettel
Nationality: German
Age: 21
GPs started: 26
Wins: 1
Podiums: 1
Pole Positions: 1
Fastest Laps: 0
Points: 41
Best Season: 8th (2008)

DISCUSSION

Dcoulthard19

The next team to come under our thorough scrutiny is the Red Bull team. What did you make of their progress in 2008?

Paul Murtagh

To be honest I was disappointed. They started the season well with Webber getting several point-scoring races in a row, but even they must admit it was very embarrassing to be overtaken by their B squad come the end of the year.

Although to be fair it wasn't their fault entirely—I lost count how many times DC was taken out of a race early by a collision

Dcoulthard19

It turned out to be a poor year. The team started well and improved on the reliability front, which was simply woeful in 2007. From that front row spot in Silverstone the season went downhill. I think the team were really affected by the decision on when to switch fully to the 2009 project.

Sources say that caused a lot of heart-break in the team. I think they actually switched fully to 2009 quite early on but perhaps were not as vocal about the issue as teams like BMW and Honda were

Paul Murtagh

I think they believed that, with Adrian Newey and Geoff Willis on board, they believed they could take advantage of the new rules and did switch to 2009 quite early.

But I thought it was a mistake because they still had a lot to gain in 2008 and had they kept developing as they did at the start of the season they may well have finished fourth in the final standings.

Would you say that DC's retirement also help contribute to the team taking their eye off the ball? Was there no incentive to help push the team with him there knowing he wouldn't be driving the car next year?

Dcoulthard19

I think DC had a bad year by his standards. A mixture of bad luck and problems with qualifying speed dogged his season. Christian Horner conceded that they basically became a one-car team last season.

I think DC perhaps was too early to announce his retirement. But I think fairly early on the team realised that 2009 was going to be their big year rather than 2008

Paul Murtagh

Do you think he will help the team now he has become an advisor to the team for this season? Or is there a need for him with the two drivers who will be driving the cars this season?

Dcoulthard19

I think he can certainly help but with the testing ban he isn't going to be able to be as influential as he could be, which is a shame for the team

Paul Murtagh

Yeah that will hinder him in terms of helping develop the car as drivers need feedback from actually driving the car. What about his old team-mate Webber—can he finally score podiums should he get a good car?

Dcoulthard19

I have always been a great admirer of Mark Webber. I think he is a really good driver. His qualifying pace cannot be disputed. Over a single lap I think he is one of the best in F1 along with the likes of Trulli and Massa. He has done some unbelievable laps in the past.

Remember when he put a Jaguar on the front row. His race pace is always good now too. If it wasn't for bad luck he would have a few more podiums and maybe even a couple of wins to his name.

That would make his record look a lot more impressive than it currently is.

Paul Murtagh

As you know I have never been a fan of Webber and, although he is very good in qualifying, I don't think he will ever be a top line driver. But I fear for his F1 career this season. He needs to beat Vettel this year otherwise he could be on his way out of the sport. Two podiums in seven years of F1 isn't very impressive, and if Vettel blows the doors off him this year then he could be on the F1 scrapheap

Dcoulthard19

This is definitely a big year for both drivers and in that way it becomes the most fascinating inter-team battle. The consequences are big for the one that loses.

Vettel won't be seen as a major talent if he loses to Webber and if Vettel thrashes Webber then Webber loses the chance of a top seat. Having said that I think Webber can hold his own.

Over a single lap he is definitely capable of out qualifying Vettel, and if he can do that then he has the big advantage when it comes to the race. I think it will be very close. Webber may take a few by surprise in 2009.

Paul Murtagh

I think we could disagree on this one—I think Webber could have a bad season. But one thing I think we will agree on is Vettel having a good season—can he win for Red Bull like he did with Toro Rosso?

Dcoulthard19

I have no doubts about how great a talent Vettel is. But I think as fans we can't get too carried away about him. This season is a completely new challenge for him. Last season there was no pressure to get results. This season I think there is a lot of pressure on him.

This guy hasn't experienced any bad press yet. We saw with Hamilton how the wheels almost came off when the errors started creeping in, and the press got on his back. In Germany he is referred to as "baby Schumi". They are clearly expecting a lot from him. He is definitely brilliant in the wet conditions.

He has shown he is super-human in those conditions. However he hasn't done anything overly spectacularly in the dry yet. He has got some good results but nor more than making full use out of what became perhaps the third best car at times in the 2nd half of the season.

Remember that Bourdais matched him occasionally and even out-raced him in Spa and Fuji.

This year will really tell us how talented Vettel is. It could be a reality check like it was for Kubica against Nick in 2007 ,but that worked well for Kubica, and he has come back extremely strong now and is now a front runner in F1. Same kind of proccess could happen to Vettel.

Paul Murtagh

Do you not think that Vettel's attitude could help him avoid these type of errors though? He seems to have his feet firmly on the ground and seems to really enjoy himself even when things aren't going his way—nothing seems to faze him

Dcoulthard19

I think his attitude is very good and his personality makes him likable amongst the press, and keeping that good relationship with the press could well be a strong asset to him. If he is competing for championships and constantly under the spotlight will he stay like that? I am not sure, we will have to see.

Overall, I do actually expect Vettel to just edge Webber but I expect Webber to be right there with him throughout the season to finally show his capabilities. It could actually be a great season for both drivers in actual fact. All I will say is, don't expect too much of Vettel just yet.

Monza 2008 was great but he still has a lot of hard lessons to learn, and there will be some reality checks for him and his adoring fans in 2009. But I really like the guy and wish him very well for 2009 along with Mark who has been recovering from his broken leg.

Paul Murtagh

Do you think that the technical team at Red Bull can design a good car? They have two people in there from the successful Williams days, but with the current regulations giving very little room for innovation they could be restricted as to what they can achieve

Dcoulthard19

I think this is the year where Adrian Newey and Geoff Willis can finally stamp their mark on the team. With the recent stability in the regulations closing the gap to Ferrari and McLaren has been a bit difficult.

However Newey and Willis are very talented. They are possibly the most talented duo in the pit lane, and they can make the most of this clean sheet of paper.

Remember the McLaren of 97 and 98? Newey took McLaren from also-rans to championship contenders. And in 1998 we saw major rule changes and McLaren wiped the entire field in Melbourne that season.

I think Red Bull could take a similar leap forward to McLaren from 1996 to 1997. I think there will podiums and maybe even a first win.

Paul Murtagh

And let's not forget that Willis designed the successful BAR from 2004. I hope they do well this season because the majority of the staff have been there from the Stewart days, and even looked like they were out of a job when Jag sold the team before Red Bull took over.

How do you rate Christian Horner as an F1 boss? He done a great job with Arden in F3000, and hasn't been too bad during F1 days

Dcoulthard19

I think he is a very good young boss. I think he has been very impressive and he is shrewd and level-headed. He has also made good decisions. Bringing in DC in back in 2005 has helped massively get the team to where they are now. He has done well to get Newey and Willis into the team and he has a good driver lineup.

Yes, Red Bull may have slightly under-performed recently but I just get the feeling that for Horner, and the entire team it’s going to come together like it did for McLaren back in the late '90s.

Have you seen Red Bull's new car. There is so much detail and ambition in that. There are a lot of different ideas in that car to everyone else, along with all the swoops and beautiful lines we have got used to from a great Newey car.

Paul Murtagh

Yes about that—what do you make of the rear wing endplates? They almost touch the ground they are that long—have Red Bull discovered a way of clawing back down force that the others haven't?

Dcoulthard19

Well there are unique points all over the car. For instance the long and thing nose is very different from all the other cars we have seen. I think what is perhaps separating Red Bull from the other 2009 efforts so far is that they have gone for it!

They are taking risks and a radical approach. They aren't taking the conservative approach like perhaps a couple of the others have. I think this is the first time we have seen Newey in full flow at Red Bull.

I still think Newey is the most talented designer in F1, and some different ideas is exactly what I was expecting from him. I was anticipating the Red Bull launch with relish, and what I have seen hasn't disappointed me.

I think out of the midfield teams Red Bull are in the best position to take the biggest step forward.

Paul Murtagh

Do you think that the Renault engine is the engine to help push the team forward? It wasn't the best engine last year by a big margin, but it looked handy when Alonso won two races with it towards the end of the season, so it must be a decent engine when attached to a good chassis

Dcoulthard19

I think the Renault is a very good engine. The problem was that last season other engines manufacturers found loopholes, which Renault didn't take the initiative to make the most out of. This year I don't think we will see that problem.

The main Renault team also seem pretty confident about their KERs system, so this in turn will be very good news for Red Bull and remove a potential headache for them

Paul Murtagh

So can you see wins, podiums or regular points for Red Bull this season?

Dcoulthard19

I think their new car looks brilliant and it seems to be reflecting in the testing times so far. There is no doubt that there is going to be a big improvement. How big remains the question. I can definitely see the potential for podiums and maybe even a win or two.

I think most people agree that 2009 will throw a big surprise, and I would put money on Red Bull being that surprise. I am going to predict top four in the championship and maybe even top three.

Paul Murtagh

Very brave prediction. I think they will definitely be in the top five this year, but with the field possibly being the closest it has been in years they might struggle for regular podiums but not of their own doing.

The teammate battle will be very intriguing, and a possible win could be there for the taking at some point during the season

Dcoulthard19

My only concern is that Red Bull end up being too radical and sacrificing reliability. Newey cars are quite notorious for being a bit fragile at times. But if Newey's radical design works then the aggression could pay off big time.

2009's blank sheet of paper could end up benefiting this team more than any other. One last thing, do you think Red Bull have a long term future in F1?

Paul Murtagh

Yes I think they do. I think Dietrich Mateschitz is a genuine F1 fan now having been involved in the sport since Gerhard Berger first started a race back in 1984, and having seen Toro Rosso win he will be even more determined to see the senior team succeed.

They have the right designers, good engine and a potential superstar in Vettel, and if that all gels together then they could be mighty

Dcoulthard19

It’s taken a while for everything to come together at Red Bull, the wind tunnel is now working and delivering.

The technical team are now gelling together. I think the time has now come for this team to start getting the results people expected of them back in 2007. It wasn't always going to an overnight job.

2009 is with no doubt the make or break year. If Red Bull don't perform in 2009 I don't think they ever will. But I am confident it’s going to be make rather than the break, with the signs that we are seeing at the moment.

Paul Murtagh

I agree—a better year all round for Red Bull, and a big improvement on 2008.

MARKS

Scores (out of 10)

Chassis: 8.5
Engine: 8
Aerodynamics: 8
Mechanical grip: 8
Drivers: 8.5
Reliability: 8

THREE KEY QUESTIONS

Can Red Bull scare McLaren and Ferrari and take their first win?
Can Mark Webber keep Vettel under control?
Has Adrian Newey still got it?

Other 2009 season previews

FORCE INDIA

WILLIAMS

SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO

TOYOTA