A couple of months ago, Red Bull showcased a remarkable first-person view (FPV) drone that can match the speed of their Formula 1 cars. Developed in collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT) and a Dutch drone services company, this customized drone can complete a lap of the Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom at the same speed as the RB20.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen couldn’t believe his eyes when he first saw the drone’s footage. “This kind of shot has never really been done before. It’s crazy! I never thought to see a drone going that quick. It gives a different perspective to watching Formula 1,” Verstappen said in amazement.
Red Bull team build a drone that is able to catch up with Formula 1. It can accelerate to 186 mph in just 4s and max speed is 217 mph
Check out this video showcasing how it can follow F1 driven by Max Verstappen pic.twitter.com/R89fZsYGGH
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The RBD-1 drone was created by a Dutch company named Dutch Drone Gods. Ralph Hogenbirk, the founder of Dutch Drone Gods, shared how important Red Bull’s role was in making the drone. Red Bull’s expertise in aerodynamics played a vital role in the drone’s development.
Known for creating some of the most sophisticated aerodynamic packages in Formula 1, RBAT worked closely with Dutch Drone Gods to come up with an aerodynamic body design that was crucial to increasing airspeed and reducing the power needed to keep the drone flying.
Moreover, it was Red Bull themselves who came up with the idea of creating such a drone and not Dutch Drone Gods, who specialize in this field.
The RBD-1 drone is the brainchild of Red Bull Racing
Hogenbirk explained that it was Red Bull who initially approached him with the idea of creating a drone that could keep up with a Formula 1 car for a full lap. “About one year ago, Red Bull came to us with a question: ‘We’ve been thinking about this for a while. We want a drone that can follow a Formula 1 car for a full lap, keep up, film it, and make a video that looks cool as well – can you do it,’” Hogenbirk recounted as quoted by AVIXA.
Hogenbirk then also elaborated on the development process which began by exploring existing high-speed drones. Most of these drones were designed for short, straight-line bursts of speed but lacked high-definition cameras and recording capabilities.
The team at Dutch Drone Gods took these initial ideas and started experimenting with ways to incorporate advanced filming technology while maintaining the necessary speed. They continued to test and refine the drone’s capabilities.
Max Verstappen ile Drone Karşı Karşıya
İngiltere’nin Silverstone yarış pistinde, maksimum hızı 350 kilometreyi bulan özel yapım Red Bull Drone 1’i ile Oracle Red Bull Racing’in yepyeni F1 otomobili RB20’yle yarıştı. pic.twitter.com/RZBA9kjlmd
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This included integrating HD cameras and ensuring the drone could handle the complex maneuvers required to follow a Formula 1 car around a circuit. After extensive testing and hard work, the team succeeded in building a drone capable of reaching a top speed of about 220 mph, with an acceleration of 0 to 120 mph in just two seconds.
