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FormulaNerds joined select media at the Red Bull RB17 hypercar launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Red Bull’s presence at Goodwood can only be described as phenomenal. Rather than settling for a tent, Red Bull opted for an entire zone dedicated to its growing motorsport legacy. The reason: all twenty of Red Bull’s F1 cars were on display. In a nirvana for F1 fans, the public could very clearly see the development of F1 cars from 2005 to 2024. It is the second F1 celebration in as many years after McLaren’s 60th anniversary in 2023.
Cars from other series were arranged in tents around this magical feature. At the rear of the zone, a mini energy station for staff stood proudly. Official merchandise could be bought from the stand, while wannabe E-sports drivers could try their luck on a simulator next to the resident DJ blasting out early 2000s hits. The zone was, without question, a statement of intent.
But something equally as exciting would take centre stage on Friday morning. At 9:30, we were escorted into the Energy Station, where a small selection of pastries, tea, and coffee were available. As the select media and guests assembled, David Coulthard arrived. Not participating in the festivities, he departed shortly after to prepare for his run up the Goodwood hill.
The launch of the RB17
At 10:00 am, Christian Horner began to speak, introducing the RB17. According to Horner, the car is legendary F1 car designer Adrian Newey “off the lead” with no regulations or cost cap constraints. He jokingly remarked: “Which is why it’s f*****g expensive”.
Once he finished his remarks, we were shown a short video promoting the car. A BMX bike then appeared, revving and wheeling its way through the energy station, taking us all by surprise.
Being led outside, we were treated to a spectacular display of Red Bull’s BMX and drift car exploits. The RB17, now directly opposite us, remained under its cover. The drift cars produced a smokescreen covering the car. As the smoke lifted, we saw Horner and Newey taking off the covers, and the world’s media descended to see this new motoring icon.
The sweeping curves and contours of this car are breathtaking. Featuring a custom-made Cosworth V10 engine and Michelin tyres, the RB17 will cost a staggering £6 million. TV chef Gordon Ramsay appeared to be one of the first to show interest. He embraced Newey as he departed the stage, asking, “Will I fit in this?”. Newey’s reply was a simple “yes.”
With the launch complete, the general public swarmed the car. Newey and Horner addressed the massive crowds from a special stand set up nearby. After a few minutes, both retreated to the energy station, taking our small group of media with them.
Roundtable with a legend
Now grouped at the back of the energy station, a small exclusive group of media, including FormulaNerds, asked Horner and Newey face-to-face about the RB17. Horner was first, focusing on the commercial aspects.
Horner confirmed that only fifty of these cars will ever be produced, stating the RB17 is a “celebration of Adrian’s time with the team”. He also revealed that “there are some iconic owners on the ownership list” when asked if Gordon Ramsay is taking one after Newey’s brief conversation with him on the podium, but did not elaborate.
The Red Bull CEO and Team Principal was also coy on whether we would see the RB17 race at Le Mans. However, he did not rule out the possibility: “I’m not sure what category it could race in, but I mean, of course, it’d be amazing to see that car run at Le Mans.”
Horner then made the jaw-dropping statement that the RB17 could surpass current F1 cars at certain tracks in the right hands:
“The RB17 will be quicker, on certain circuits, than a Formula 1 car, such is the level of downforce, although not with me….but with a pro driver…in the simulator, Liam Lawson drove this car the other day, and his eyes were wide open”.
Horner then departed as Newey took his seat. Smiling and relaxed, he was only too happy to talk to us about his creation. He revealed that the car only exited the concept stage in January, having spent three years in development. As with all of his cars throughout his illustrious career, the RB17 began life on his drawing board in his office at Red Bull in Milton Keynes.
Short video of the RB17 ⬇️#GoodwoodFOS #RedBull pic.twitter.com/nFf9M8nh8z
— FormulaNerds ?? (@Formula_Nerds) July 12, 2024
Newey extensively detailed the philosophy of the car, stating it centred around replicating the feel of a modern F1 car:
“I’ve been very lucky over the years to have driven lots of different cars from classic 60s cars through to relatively modern Formula One cars. Don’t get me wrong, I love driving the classics, I usually enjoy it.
But then you drive a modern Formula 1 car, it’s the excitement, and the speed, and the adrenaline, and so forth is on a different level. So the concept with the car was to be able to have a car that would be incredibly adaptable.”
Expanding on the RB17’s adaptability, Newey said he wanted owners to grow with the car: “You can go from the car that’s benign to drive—it’s not going to catch you out all the time—and grow with the car and develop with the car to whatever performance level you feel comfortable with, and at a speed you feel comfortable with.
“So it’s trying to bring that excitement to, if you like, people who have the desire to experience it but didn’t necessarily yet got the experience.”
Like every performance car, weight saving is critical in elite sport or hypercar market. The RB17 is no different. Newey laughed as he said, “I’d always target less,” when presented with the stat that the RB17 is lighter than a Suzuki Ignis. However, he confirmed he was “very satisfied” with the car’s weight.
Tyres and engines custom built
The RB17 will have different specifications, ranging from a performance-focused version to models with more features, as Newey explained:
“There’s different specifications of the car. So, in its lightest form, it’s straight through exhausts. No heating or air conditioning, and so forth. And then you can…depending on what spec you choose, then you vary your comfort levels and adaptability.
“So if you’re running at a circuit where you need…silencing for decibel level, you can put that on. So if you need air conditioning because you’re running in a hot country you can fit that. So there’s a lot of variation built within the car to tune the particular customer’s desires and needs.”
The effort placed into the RB17 is astounding. Newey revealed there are three different versions of tyre tread available. All are custom-built by Michelin, while Cosworth built the mid-mounted V10 engine, capable of more than 215mph. Newey then revealed the engine started life as something else:
“So the initial specification of the car was actually for a V8 twin turbo and then I decided in that sort of early phase, we went looked at the V8 twin turbo where he looked at V6 string turbo. The requirements were for a thousand horsepower and under 150 kilos.
“I wasn’t completely happy with the V6 or V8 turbo in as much as the sound isn’t as good as a normally aspirated engine. When we started our powertrains division, two and a half years ago, and I started talking to powertrains, guys, about okay, is there a way we can get a thousand horsepower 150 kilo, normally aspirated, engine.
“So they started working around that and realised that yes, we could have a good durable engine that would achieve that. Of course, it needs to rev, so it’s a 15,000 RPM rev limit. Then, to get that sort of thousand horsepower, 150 kilos, then the equation worked out to say it’s four and a half litres and 15,000 RPM.”
A car that encapsulates one of F1’s most legendary designers
Every car designer dreams of designing the perfect car without limits or budget constraints. With Newey off to pastures new (as yet unknown), the RB17 really is his last hurrah at Red Bull. As goodbyes go, it will go down as one of the most iconic.
Adrian Newey is widely regarded as the greatest modern F1 car designer. Since beginning almost 40 years ago, his cars have won a staggering 13 driver titles and ten constructor titles with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.
The RB17 perfectly captures Neweys’s achievements in F1. It is a car of no compromises, built to lap circuits as fast as possible using cutting-edge technology.
Christian Horner called the RB17 “the Red Bull that never was” after the team skipped the number in 2021 for its F1 car. It is fitting that Newey’s final car bears this missing title, as intended. The RB17 is pure Newey magic.
Feature Image Credit: Tatum Mandy