Red Bull say their RB18 launch car ‘won’t look much like’ the car on track

“By the time we get to the first race, the RB18 won’t look much like it looks today”
The RB18 broke cover on WednesdayThe RB18 broke cover on Wednesday
The RB18 broke cover on Wednesday

Red Bull Racing’s RB18 will look significantly different to the first images released by the team on Wednesday when it hits the track for the first time.

The RB18 already looks markedly different to the RB16B with which Max Verstappen claimed his first F1 world title, with widespread rule changes coming into force this season. The Dutchman will also be the first driver to use #1 on his car since Sebastian Vettel used it in 2014 after the last of his four titles at Red Bull.

The car, only the second to be unveiled conforming to the new regulations ‘won’t look much like it looks’ by the time the cars hit the track for the first race of the season in Bahrain next month, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner, but Verstappen said he is excited to get behind the wheel of the new car.

“We don’t know what to fully expect so I’m excited to see how the car behaves on the track for the first time.” he said. “The biggest adaptation this season will be the new regulations, we’ll need some time to get used to the car, it is not like you just jump in and it’s an upgrade from last year. The rest is pretty straightforward.

“I don’t feel any extra pressure this season, I will just do what I do all the time because I don’t think there is any reason to be different. Now I just I can’t wait for that first moment when I drive out of the pitlane in the RB18.”

Christian Horner added: “By the time we get to the first race, the RB18 won’t look much like it looks today, the evolution will be very quick as we progress through the season. It is a steep learning curve for everyone and it is a contest in development between the first and the last race. We believe we have a good car for 2022, the RB18 is coming to life and seeing it today is fantastic.

“With the new regulation changes this year, the whole philosophy has altered, which means every single component is different to last year’s car. It’s a clean sheet of paper for every single team.”

Sergio Perez, who will once again partner Verstappen at Tilbrook, said: “I am so excited to start the new season and I cannot wait to be on track with the new RB18. All of us on the grid are starting from zero this season so it is set to be an exciting year.

“The new regulations are said to improve the competition on track, so I hope that for us as drivers we can compete more, race more and follow each other more closely. There will be a lot of things we need to learn and adapt to but these new regulations are set to make everything very interesting.”