Red Bull unveiled its RB17 hypercar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this week. Designed by Adrian Newey, this car can travel at a speed of 230 mph, and even Max Verstappen cannot utilize it to its fullest, according to Team Principal Christian Horner.
While building the RB17, Newey utilized several components that aren’t allowed in F1, even though the car has been inspired by the ones seen in the sport. Among them is active suspension, something which the FIA banned from F1 in 1993.
“There are no FIA constraints and no cost caps,” said Horner to Autocar. “So, you can see the influence from all these cars over the years.”
Presenting the RB17 Designed by Adrian Newey and Red Bull Advanced Technologies ✍️
Built on 20 years of #F1 innovation, the RB17 has over 1,000 horsepower and a V10 engine pic.twitter.com/WS53k958Pe
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) July 12, 2024
Highlighting how good the car is, Horner added “It has an insane amount of performance that even Max Verstappen would struggle to extract.”
Just 50 units of the RB17 will be manufactured, and each of its owners will get special track days to get the best out of the car. For those who aren’t seasoned drivers, an instructor will help them get up to speed. Even simulators will be installed at the Milton-Keynes factory to help owners understand the car’s handling.
The RB17 also has a 1200 horsepower V-10 hybrid engine, and the car itself weighs just under 2000 pounds. This will add to the aerodynamic efficiency, making it incredibly nimble.
Unfortunately for its owners, the RB17 is not road-legal yet and can only be driven around circuits. This is something Horner and Newey will work on in the months to come.
Red Bull prioritizing F1 cars over RB17
For a car as hyped as the RB17, just 50 units seems a bit too less to satisfy demand. However, Red Bull, unlike Mercedes and Aston Martin, does not have a different factory to build non-F1 cars.
Red Bull has to give priority to its F1 division to continue their successful journey in the sport. “That was one thing I was quite keen on: this needs to complement F1, rather than distract in any way,” Horner insisted.
Newey meanwhile, states that they aren’t just selling a car, but an experience as well. The owners will soon be called in and shown the cars as they’re being built.
