F1 | The Racing Bulls era opens: the VCARB 01 presented

To present a new car from a team that has changed a lot, starting from its name, the Las Vegas stage is the ideal place. Racing Bulls, better known as Visa Cash App RB Formula Ore Team, chose him to unveil its VCARB 01.

In truth, like the glitter offered by the city located in Nevada, the single-seater presented by Racing Bulls was also… fake. A mannequin used above all to give lots of space to the new livery and, above all, to the new sponsors who arrived thanks to the new marketing center created in Milton Keynes, strongly desired by Red Bull.

But be careful, if in the United States the only real thing revealed was the livery, we can still say that the team that continues to be based in Faenza has released photos of the real single-seater, taken in the studio dedicated to this kind of photographic sessions.

The VCARB 01 is not tangible, it will be on February 12th during the filming day that the team will hold at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Misano Adriatico and in the three days of winter testing scheduled again this year in Sakhir, Bahrain, but the shapes are the right ones.

Daniel Ricciardo, VCARB 01

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

The VCARB 01 presents itself with an almost ancient livery in concept, in the sense that it follows – as we already anticipated last week – that already used by the latest Toro Rossos before giving way to the AlphaTauri name. A blue-based livery, with black which – finally – finds little space in a Formula 1 increasingly devoted to carbon black to save as many grams as possible in a slimming treatment so extreme as to be excessive in many cases.

Two white stripes edged in red break the hegemony of blue. The first is placed before the passenger compartment, where the name Hugo stands out. The second, one on each side, shoots right from the sides of the cockpit to end at the end of the two bazookas, left to expel heat from the power unit and direct the air towards the beam wing.

The silver rim that still finds space on the bonnet is very beautiful. Same color as the Visa sponsor, clearly visible on the model-like sides, tapered to the bone and reminiscent of a declaration of intent: it won't be enough to do better than last year. The goal, and we will see why, will be much higher and more ambitious.

Cash App, second title sponsor of Racing Bulls, is visible on the vertical bulkheads of the front wing, on the main profile of the same, on the slides on the sides of the cockpit and on the first profile of the rear wing, while Visa has taken the part rear. On the main plane there is instead Orlen, just like on the mirrors, on the halo and on the vertical parts of the three-dimensional bottom which bring air underneath it to create the ground effect.

Yuki Tsunoda, VCARB 01

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

From a technical point of view we are talking about a real single-seater born from the ashes of the fabulous Red Bull RB19. The suspensions are just one of the elements taken from Milton Keynes and brought to the VCARB 01. Under the skin – which, we repeat, looks like the dress tailored for a top model – there are many other components of the dominating single-seater of the 2023 Formula 1 season .

The pull-rod suspension was picked up several months ago. The snout attaches to the main element of the front wing and is hollowed out at the bottom. The airscope is practically square, appearing more angular than last season.

What is impressive are the bellies, which have become even slimmer compared to last season and adhere to the engine and power unit components. No clues were provided about its cooling vents, usually inserted into the bonnet with the now classic gills. For an in-depth technical analysis of the single-seater, we refer you to that of Giorgio Piola and Franco Nugnes.

One of the few strong points remaining from last season will be represented by the drivers, with Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda who will do everything to make a good impression and try to deserve the second seat of the Red Bull 2025, when, probably, it will be vacated by the possible departure by Sergio Perez.

Watch: F1 Videos | Racing Bulls presentation: the VCARB 01

Big news however regarding the team, with the arrival of Laurent Mekies in the role of team principal in place of Franz Tost. It is not the only prominent move made by the Faenza team. In recent weeks, the arrivals of Tim Goss as the new Chief Technical Officer and Guillaume Cattelani, who will take on the role of deputy technical director, reporting to Jody Egginton, have been made official.

Goss, however, will join the team operationally from October, so he will work mainly on the 2026 single-seater having partly authored the regulations for the next era of Formula 1 after a year of work in the FIA.

2024 will be a season of great ambitions for Racing Bulls, or rather, Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team. Don't be surprised if the VCARB 01 manages to pull off one or more exploits at the start of the season.