Red Bull Racing RB16

Last updated

Red Bull Racing RB16
Red Bull Racing RB16B
Alexander Albon-Red Bull RB16 (4).jpg
An RB16 driven by Alexander Albon at the 2020 Formula One pre-season testing
Category Formula One
Constructor Red Bull Racing (chassis)
Honda Racing Development Sakura (power unit)
Designer(s) Adrian Newey (Chief Technical Officer)
Pierre Waché (Technical Director)
Rob Marshall (Chief Engineering Officer)
Guillaume Cattelani (Chief Engineer - Technology and Analysis Tools)
Steve Winstanley (Chief Designer - Composites and Structures)
Edward Aveling (Chief Designer - Mechanical and Systems)
Ben Waterhouse (Chief Engineer, Performance)
Dan Fallows (Chief Engineer, Aerodynamics)
Craig Skinner (Chief Aerodynamicist)
Toyoharu Tanabe (Power Unit Technical Director (Honda))
Predecessor Red Bull RB15
Successor Red Bull RB18
Technical specifications [1]
Engine 2020
Honda RA620H, 1.6  L (98  cu in) direct injection V6 turbocharged engine limited to 15,000 rpm peak power produced 1010 hp weight 150 kg in a mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive layout [2]

2021
Honda RA621H, 1.6  L (98  cu in) direct injection V6 turbocharged engine limited to 15,000 rpm peak power produced 1040 hp weight 145 kg in a mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive layout [3]
Electric motor Honda kinetic and thermal energy recovery systems
BatteryHonda lithium-ion batteries
Fuel Exxon/Esso (Exxon for US race only in 2021) Synergy and Mobil High Performance Unleaded (Mexican race only in 2021) 94.25% gasoline + 5.75% bio fuel
Lubricants Mobil 1 Racing 0W-40 fully-synthetic motor oil
Tyres Pirelli
Competition history
Notable entrants2020:
Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
2021:
Red Bull Racing Honda
Notable drivers
Debut 2020 Austrian Grand Prix
First win 70th Anniversary Grand Prix
Last win 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Last event2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
RacesWins Podiums Poles F/Laps
3913361111
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships1 (2021, Max Verstappen)

The Red Bull Racing RB16 and RB16B are Formula One racing cars designed and constructed by Red Bull Racing to compete during the 2020 and 2021 Formula One World Championships, respectively. They were powered by Honda's RA620H (2020) and RA621H (2021) power units, being the second and third Red Bull to use the Japanese manufacturer's engines. [4] The drivers for 2020 were Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon, both of whom were retained by the team for a fifth and second season respectively, with Sergio Pérez taking Albon's place for 2021. [5] Albon became the team's test and reserve driver for the 2021 season. The RB16 was planned to make its competitive debut at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix, but this was delayed when the race was cancelled and the next three events in Bahrain, Vietnam and China were postponed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [6] [7] The RB16 made its debut at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix, while the RB16B made its debut at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Contents

The pandemic prompted the delay of technical regulations that had been planned for introduction in 2021. Under an agreement between teams and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, 2020-specification cars—including the RB16—saw their lifespan extended to compete in 2021, with Red Bull producing an updated chassis called the RB16B, which used Honda's upgraded RA621H power unit. [8] [9]

Design

2020

With largely unchanged technical regulations for the 2020 season, the RB16 was based on its predecessor the RB15. [10] The RB16 featured a narrower nose with two additional inlets at its front, as well as a redesigned barge-board area and smaller side-pod inlets. [11] [12] The car also featured a large 'cape' element below the nose, bodywork that was popularised by Mercedes in 2017 but that Red Bull had not yet adopted. Parts of the rear suspension were raised, and the rear wing featured two supporting pillars compared to its predecessor's one. [13] The team also redesigned the front multi-link suspension of the car, with team principal Christian Horner stating that the intention was to improve the performance of the car in low-speed corners. [14]

2021

Red Bull used its development tokens to change the shape of the gearbox casing, allowing it to rearrange the rear suspension and significantly increase rear downforce. [15]

Honda RA621H

Due to difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Honda had initially decided to postpone the introduction of its all-new power unit design to the 2022 season. [16] However, following a reassessment of the situation after its decision to leave the sport at the end of the 2021 season, it decided to bring the new design forward by a year to 2021 in a bid to try to beat Mercedes and win the championship in its final official season, although it would only have six months to complete the design before pre-season testing with a risk of significant reliability issues if it encountered problems. [16] [17]

The RA621H was Honda's biggest change since 2017, as it used the same basic concept between 2017 and 2020, though it did not feature a new engine layout like in 2017. [16] Some features of the RA621H include a notably more compact camshaft layout that is placed lower, a different valve angle and shorter cylinder bore spacing compared to the previous season's RA620H. [18] These changes altered the shape of the combustion chamber and the airflow characteristics within the engine and created a significantly smaller engine with a lower centre of gravity. [18] Honda believed that the engine is even smaller than the "size zero" design it initially used with McLaren when it returned to the sport in 2015, while having significantly improved performance. [18] Other features of the RA621H include a way to increase the power output of the internal combustion engine without decreasing the MGU-H's output, modifications to the turbine and compressor as well as new plating on the cylinder block from the company's Kumamoto motorcycle mass production facility to improve durability. [18]

Special livery

An RB16B with the Honda-themed livery which was used at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix Suzuka Fan Thanksgiving Day 2022 (36) - RedBull Honda RB16-01 in 2022 Formula 1.jpg
An RB16B with the Honda-themed livery which was used at the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix

At the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, the livery of the RB16B and drivers' overalls were red and white, inspired by the livery with which Honda won their first Formula One race, the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix. The colouring was originally to be used at Honda's home race, the Japanese Grand Prix, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [19]

Competition summary

2020

Albon during the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix, the race in which he took his maiden podium. Alexander Albon 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix - race day.jpg
Albon during the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix, the race in which he took his maiden podium.

Verstappen and Albon started second and fourth on the grid respectively for the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix, however both cars would go on to retire with electrical failures during the race. [20] Despite being reasonably competitive in the hands of Verstappen who scored several podiums including a victory at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit, the car was generally no match for the combination of Lewis Hamilton and the Mercedes F1 W11 as Mercedes retained the Constructors' title and Hamilton the Drivers'. Albon struggled to find good form and was outperformed by his teammate, scoring two podium finishes to Verstappen's 11 including 2 wins. The team ended the year on a high, with Verstappen scoring a dominant victory in Abu Dhabi, the first time Red Bull won at the circuit since 2013. Albon also ended the year on a high, being able to pressure Mercedes and prevent them from trying an alternate strategy, finishing fourth. [21] Overall, the team finished second in the constructors championship, [22] with Verstappen and Albon finishing third and seventh, respectively. [22]

2021

Max Verstappen in the RB16B during practice at the Austrian Grand Prix 2021. FIA F1 Austria 2021 Nr. 33 Verstappen (side).jpg
Max Verstappen in the RB16B during practice at the Austrian Grand Prix 2021.

At the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Verstappen finished second and Pérez fifth. [23] During qualifying Verstappen achieved 1st and Pérez 11th. [24] Again Verstappen outperformed his teammate throughout the season, getting 10 wins and 18 podiums, while Pérez got one win [25] and 5 podiums. Verstappen fought for the championship with Lewis Hamilton all season long, [26] winning it on the last lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, after a last-minute restart, caused by a crash from Nicholas Latifi. Peréz finished fourth in the championship, after being as high as third. [22] Even with Verstappen's success in the Drivers' Championship, Red Bull still finished second in the Constructors' Championship, again behind Mercedes by 28 points. [22]

Overall, the RB16 and RB16B competed in 39 races, winning 13 (success rate of 33.33%). [22] The RB16B became the first non-Mercedes car to win any championship since 2013, Honda became the first Japanese and Asian engine supplier world champions of the turbo-hybrid era, and became one of two championship cars with the Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 (Red Bull won drivers, and Mercedes won constructors). [27]

Complete Formula One results

(key)

YearEntrantChassisPower unitTyresDriver nameGrands PrixPointsWCC
2020 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB16 Honda RA620H P AUT STY HUN GBR 70A ESP BEL ITA TUS RUS EIF POR EMI TUR BHR SKH ABU 3192nd
Flag of Thailand.svg Alexander Albon 13†45858615310Ret12157364
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Max Verstappen Ret322F123RetRet22F3Ret62FRet1P
2021 Red Bull Racing Honda RB16B Honda RA621H P BHR EMI POR ESP MON AZE FRA STY AUT GBR HUN BEL ‡ NED ITA RUS TUR USA MXC SAP QAT SAU ABU 585.52nd
Flag of Mexico.svg Sergio Pérez 511454134616FRet198593334F4Ret15†
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Max Verstappen 2P122F118†F1PF1P1PFRet1 P91P1PRet2 P221P1222F21PF
Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Bull Racing</span> Formula One racing team

Red Bull Racing, currently competing as Oracle Red Bull Racing and also known simply as Red Bull or RBR, is a Formula One racing team, competing under an Austrian racing licence and based in the United Kingdom. It is one of two Formula One teams owned by conglomerate Red Bull GmbH, the other being RB Formula One Team. The Red Bull Racing team has been managed by Christian Horner since its formation in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Bahrain Grand Prix</span> First round of the 2021 Formula One season

The 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One race which was held on 28 March 2021 at the Bahrain International Circuit, a motor racing circuit in the west of Bahrain. It served as the season opener of the 2021 Formula One World Championship, and was the seventeenth running of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Albon</span> Thai and British racing driver (born 1996)

Alexander Albon Ansusinha is a Thai and British racing driver, who competes under the Thai flag in Formula One for Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Formula One World Championship</span> 70th season of FIA Formula One World Championship

The 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship was the motor racing championship for Formula One cars which marked the 70th running of the Formula One World Championship. It is recognised by the governing body of international motorsport, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. Starting in March and ending in December, the championship was contested over twenty-one Grands Prix. Drivers competed for the title of World Drivers' Champion, and teams for the title of World Constructors' Champion. The 2019 championship also saw the running of the 1000th World Championship race, the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Formula One World Championship</span> 72nd Formula One season

The 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars which was the 72nd running of the Formula One World Championship. It is recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of international motorsport, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship was contested over twenty-two Grands Prix, and held around the world. Drivers and teams competed for the titles of Formula One World Champion Driver and Formula One World Champion Constructor, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Brazilian Grand Prix</span> 20th round of the 2019 Formula One season

The 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held on 17 November 2019 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil. The race was the twentieth and penultimate round of the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship. The race marked the 47th time the race had been run as a World Championship event since the first championship event in 1973, and the 48th time the race had been run overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Bull Racing RB15</span> 2019 Formula One racing car

The Red Bull RB15 is a Formula One racing car designed and constructed by Red Bull Racing to compete during the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship and the first to be powered by a Honda engine, in the form of the RA619H. The car was driven by Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon. Pierre Gasly was originally meant to be driving the car for the entire season after moving from Toro Rosso to replace Daniel Ricciardo. However, after the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix it was announced that Alexander Albon would be replacing Gasly for the remainder of the season. The car made its competitive début at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's win at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix made the RB15 the first Honda-powered car to achieve victory since Jenson Button won for Honda at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix in the Honda RA106.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Bahrain Grand Prix</span> 2020 Formula One race at Bahrain International Circuit

The 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that took place over 57 laps on 29 November 2020 on the 'Grand Prix Circuit' configuration at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. The race was the fifteenth round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship. It was the sixteenth time that the Bahrain Grand Prix has been run as a round of the Formula One World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Austrian Grand Prix</span> Formula One motor race

The 2020 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race that was held on 5 July 2020 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria. The race was the opening round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship, and the 34th running of the Austrian Grand Prix as well as the first of two consecutive races held at the Red Bull Ring, with the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix taking place the week after.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Hungarian Grand Prix</span> Formula One race

The 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 19 July 2020 at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, Hungary. The race was the third round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship, the 36th running of the Hungarian Grand Prix and the 35th time the race had been run as a World Championship event since the inaugural season in 1950. Lewis Hamilton was the defending race winner and the eventual winner of this Grand Prix, Hamilton's second successive win of the 2020 season and his eighth at the Hungaroring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 British Grand Prix</span> Formula One motor race held in 2020

The 2020 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 2 August 2020 at the Silverstone Circuit in Silverstone, United Kingdom. It was the fourth round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship. The event was the seventy-first running of the British Grand Prix as part of the World Championship since 1950. The race was the first of two consecutive Formula One races at Silverstone with the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix following a week later. The defending race winner from the 2019 event, Lewis Hamilton, won the Grand Prix, his third consecutive win of the 2020 season, and Mercedes's fourth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 United States Grand Prix</span> 17th round of the 2021 Formula One season

The 2021 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held on October 24, 2021, at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, United States. The race was the 17th round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship and the 50th running of the United States Grand Prix, the 42nd time the race was run as a World Championship event since the inaugural 1950 season, and the ninth time a World Championship round was held at the venue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Formula One World Championship</span> 73rd season of Formula One

The 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars, which was the 73rd running of the Formula One World Championship. It is recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of international motorsport, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship was contested over twenty-two Grands Prix, which were held around the world, and ended earlier than in recent years to avoid overlapping with the FIFA World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Russian Grand Prix</span> Formula One motor race

The 2020 Russian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 September 2020 at the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi, Russia. The race was the tenth round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship, ninth running of the Russian Grand Prix and the seventh time held in Sochi. The 53-lap race was won by Valtteri Bottas of the Mercedes team, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull placing 2nd, and Lewis Hamilton taking the final podium place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Turkish Grand Prix</span> 2020 Formula One race at Istanbul Park

The 2020 Turkish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 15 November 2020 at Istanbul Park in Tuzla, Istanbul. It was the fourteenth round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship, and the eighth Turkish Grand Prix. The event was added to the revised 2020 calendar after other races were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Sakhir Grand Prix</span> 2020 Formula One race at Bahrain International Circuit

The 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix was a one-off Formula One motor race that took place on 6 December 2020. The race was contested over 87 laps of the 'Outer Circuit' configuration of the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the first, and currently only, Formula One race on this track configuration. The race was the sixteenth and penultimate round in the 2020 Formula One World Championship and the second of two back-to-back races in Bahrain, with the Bahrain Grand Prix having taken place on the 'Grand Prix' configuration of the circuit one week beforehand. The race also marked the first, and thus far only, running of the Sakhir Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix</span> 2020 Formula One race at the Yas Marina Circuit

The 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 13 December 2020 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The race was the seventeenth and final race of the 2020 Formula One World Championship. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the race and led every lap from pole position, followed by Mercedes drivers Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton who completed the podium. Red Bull Racing got their first victory at Yas Marina in seven years. McLaren secured third place in the Constructors' Championship which saw them score their highest finish in the Constructors' Championship since 2012. This also meant that for the first time since 2015, a team other than Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull finished in the top three in the Constructors' Championship. This race also marked the last time the original configuration of the Yas Marina circuit which had been used since the first Grand Prix at the venue in 2009 was used by Formula One. Grands Prix would be held on a revised layout from 2021 onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Bahrain Grand Prix</span> First round of the 2021 Formula One season

The 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One race which was held on 28 March 2021 at the Bahrain International Circuit, a motor racing circuit in the west of Bahrain. It served as the season opener of the 2021 Formula One World Championship, and was the seventeenth running of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Turkish Grand Prix</span> 16th round of the 2021 Formula One season

The 2021 Turkish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held on 10 October 2021 at Istanbul Park in Tuzla, Istanbul. It was the sixteenth of twenty-two rounds of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. This was also the last Turkish Grand Prix, as the race had not been contracted for the 2022 season and beyond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Formula One World Championship</span> 74th season of Formula One

The 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship was a motor racing championship for Formula One cars, the 74th running of the Formula One World Championship. It was recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body of international motorsport, as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship was contested over twenty-two Grands Prix, which were held around the world. It began in March and ended in November.

References

  1. ↑ "Hear the 2020 Honda power unit fire up". GPToday.net. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  2. ↑ "The Cars".
  3. ↑ "The Cars".
  4. ↑ van Leeuwen, Andrew (19 June 2018). "Red Bull drops Renault for 2019 Honda Formula 1 engine deal". autosport.com . Motorsport Network . Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "Red Bull retains Verstappen and Albon". Formula One . Formula One. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  6. ↑ Coch, Mat (13 March 2020). "Confirmed: F1 cancelled at Australian Grand Prix". Archived from the original on 10 April 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  7. ↑ "Bahrain and Vietnam Grands Prix postponed". formula1.com. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  8. ↑ Herrero, Daniel (20 March 2020). "Formula 1's new regulations delayed until 2022". speedcafe.com . Speedcafe. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  9. ↑ Rencken, Dieter; Collantine, Keith (14 October 2020). "Red Bull will address current car problems in RB16B - Horner". RaceFans. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Hughes, Mark (12 February 2020). "RAPID REACTION: Our first take on Red Bull's RB16". formula1.com. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  11. ↑ Hatton, Gemma. "Red Bull Racing RB16 - Technical analysis". racecar-engineering.com. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  12. ↑ Lupini, Michele (17 February 2020). "Piston Broke: Analysing the Red-Bull RB16-Honda". grandprix247.com. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  13. ↑ "Discover the hidden technical secrets of Red Bull's new RB16". motorsport.com. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  14. ↑ Sommerfield, Matt; Piola, Giorgio (22 February 2020). "Red Bull's innovative multi-link 2020 F1 front suspension design". Autosport. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  15. ↑ Benson, Andrew (November 2021). "Pure Bull". GP Racing (Australian ed.). London: Motorsport Network. p. 42. ISSN   1361-4487.
  16. 1 2 3 "Honda's plan to win the 2021 F1 title with a 2022 engine". The Race. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "Honda's 'almost miraculous' new F1 engine achievement". The Race. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "How Honda made its 2021 F1 engine 'smaller than size zero'". The Race. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  19. ↑ "REVEALED: Check out Red Bull's Honda tribute livery for the Turkish Grand Prix". formula1.com. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  20. ↑ Mitchell, Scott (5 July 2020). "Honda: Electrical issues caused Red Bull retirements". the-race.com. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  21. ↑ "Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2020 race report & highlights: Dominant Verstappen comfortably holds off Mercedes to seal victory in Abu Dhabi season finale". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 "Standings". Formula 1. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  23. ↑ "2021 Bahrain Grand Prix race report & highlights: Hamilton wins epic season opener by just 0.7s after thrilling battle with Verstappen in Bahrain". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  24. ↑ "What the teams said – Qualifying in Bahrain". Formula 1. 27 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  25. ↑ "2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix race report and highlights: Perez beats Vettel to Baku victory after Verstappen crashes out from lead late on". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  26. ↑ "Hamilton vs Verstappen: Who is in the best shape to win the 2021 world title?". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  27. ↑ "Vettel, su borrachera en India tras ser campeón y un elefante". es.motorsport.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2021.
Awards
Preceded by Autosport
Racing Car of the Year
2021		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.