Red Bull Racing RB16

The Red Bull Racing RB16 is a Formula One racing car designed and constructed by Red Bull Racing to compete during the 2020 Formula One World Championship. The drivers for 2020 are Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon, both of whom retained by the team for a fifth and second season respectively, with Sergio Pérez taking Albon's place for 2021.[2] Albon is due to become the test and reserve driver for the 2021 season. The RB16 is the second Red Bull car to use Honda engines.[3] The car 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.[4][5] The RB16 made its debut at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix.

Red Bull Racing RB16
Red Bull Racing RB16B
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorRed Bull Racing
Designer(s)Adrian Newey (Chief Technical Officer)
Pierre Waché (Technical Director)
Rob Marshall (Chief Engineering Officer)
Dan Fallows (Head of Aerodynamics)
PredecessorRed Bull RB15
Technical specifications[1]
EngineHonda RA620H
FuelEsso/Mobil Synergy race fuels
LubricantsMobil 1
TyresPirelli
Competition history
Notable entrantsAston Martin Red Bull Racing
Notable drivers
Debut2020 Austrian Grand Prix
First win70th Anniversary Grand Prix
Last win2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Last event2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
RacesWinsPodiumsPolesF.Laps
1721313

The pandemic also 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—will see their lifespan extended to compete in 2021, with Red Bull due to produce an updated chassis called the Red Bull Racing RB16B.[6][7]

Initial design

With largely unchanged technical regulations for the 2020 season, the RB16 was based on its predecessor the RB15.[8] The RB16 featured a narrower nose with two additional inlets at its front, as well as a redesigned bargeboard area and smaller sidepod inlets.[9][10] 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.[11] 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.[12]

Season summary
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.[13] 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 team mate, 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.

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Power unit Tyres Driver name Grands Prix Points WCC
2020 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda RA620H P AUT STY HUN GBR 70A ESP BEL ITA TUS RUS EIF POR EMI TUR BHR SKH ABU 319 2nd
Alexander Albon 13 4 5 8 5 8 6 15 3 10 Ret 12 15 7 3 6 4
Max Verstappen Ret 3 2 2F 1 2 3 Ret Ret 2 2F 3 Ret 6 2F Ret 1P
Source:
Notes
  • † Driver failed to finish the race, but was classified as they had completed over 90% of the winner's race distance.

References
  1. "Hear the 2020 Honda power unit fire up". GPToday.net. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  2. "Red Bull retains Verstappen and Albon". Formula One. Formula One. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. 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.
  4. Coch, Mat (13 March 2020). "Confirmed: F1 cancelled at Australian Grand Prix". Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  5. "Bahrain and Vietnam Grands Prix postponed". formula1.com. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  6. Herrero, Daniel (20 March 2020). "Formula 1's new regulations delayed until 2022". speedcafe.com. Speedcafe. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  7. Rencken, Dieter; Collantine, Keith (14 October 2020). "Red Bull will address current car problems in RB16B - Horner". RaceFans. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  8. Hughes, Mark (12 February 2020). "RAPID REACTION: Our first take on Red Bull's RB16". formula1.com. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  9. Hatton, Gemma. "Red Bull Racing RB16 - Technical analysis". racecar-engineering.com. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  10. Lupini, Michele (17 February 2020). "Piston Broke: Analysing the Red-Bull RB16-Honda". grandprix247.com. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  11. "Discover the hidden technical secrets of Red Bull's new RB16". motorsport.com. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  12. "Red Bull's innovative multi-link 2020 F1 front suspension design". autosport.com. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  13. Mitchell, Scott (5 July 2020). "Honda: Electrical issues caused Red Bull retirements". the-race.com. Retrieved 5 July 2020.


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