Having Adrian Newey on hand to explain one of his creations is a privilege that doesn’t come along every day. The brilliant designer who has just left Red Bull Racing is the father of the Red Bull RB17 Hypercar, presented this morning at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The Stratford-upon-Avon engineer, speaking to Motorsport.com, explained the gestation of the Austrian-British hypercar that was unveiled this morning. It all started in the most difficult year globally of the last decade, 2020, when at Christmas, Newey, put down the first strokes of the RB17.
“I’ve been very lucky in my life, because I’ve had the chance to try out many cars, starting from historic ones all the way up to Formula 1. I usually really enjoy trying out historic cars, but the adrenaline that comes from trying out Formula 1 cars takes your breath away. So I started thinking, ‘Okay, we can try to design a car that can do all this.'”
Red Bull RB17
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
“The RB17 is a 2-seater, so you can share those emotions with someone sitting next to you. Partners, friends, a coach. But also one that is capable of posting Formula 1 times while being accessible to people of different abilities and track experience.”
“So the design of the car started at Christmas 2020 and continued in January 2021. I started making the first drawings in that period, presenting them in January. The wonderful thing is that the conceptual phase of the car lasted until January of this year. I had 3 years to work on the details, every possible concept, to evolve them and try to reach the goals I mentioned before”.
“2021 was a fundamental year for research. I was also very busy fighting with Mercedes for the Drivers’ title in Formula 1! Not to mention all the design and research for the 2022 technical regulations of the world circus. So having three years of time was really lucky”.
Red Bull RB17
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Newey went into more depth about the design of the car. He talked about the engine, the layout of the car, the electrical components and the traction. Not to mention the tires – Michelin’s contribution in making them was fundamental – and the aerodynamics.
“So, for example, the first car I drew, then the layout, had the electric motor on the front axle like an LMH car. Then we did the simulation, because obviously there is no weight limit to respect. It is actually faster to put the electric motor on the rear axle and save weight, which I was happy about, because I think a rear-wheel drive car is also easier and more satisfying to drive than an all-wheel drive car.”
“There were a lot of other evolutions, but the main thing that I was chasing is I think it’s like learning to play golf or tennis, where you say, ‘Well, I’d like to play golf,’ and maybe you start by just hitting a ball, and then you realize you probably need a coach or a caddy, and then the fun isn’t just playing. It’s also the challenge of how to improve your game.”
Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
“And that’s very similar to the model where, as I said, drivers with relatively limited experience can start driving, have a coach, if they want, in the passenger seat, and develop their way knowing that ultimately the potential is to do Formula 1 lap times. And so you say, ‘OK, but isn’t that the case?’ And then you ask, ‘OK, but how do you make it accessible to that relatively inexperienced driver, without them feeling completely intimidated?’ So the solution we’ve found is, first of all, three tyres, two types of tyres with different levels of grip.”
“To adapt the tyres developed with Michelin, I think the key in terms of adaptability with the chassis is the solution that led to the active suspension. Because not only do they allow you to adjust the downforce, but above all to adjust the mechanical balance. So, combining this with active aerodynamics, which is another way to change the level of downforce, you get a car that can be adapted very easily, at least in principle.”
The choices made regarding the engine were also important. Everything revolved around the sound, performance and emotions. But also the lightness and the weight-to-power ratio that brings the RB17 very close to Formula 1 single-seaters.
“I wanted an engine that could develop 1,000 hp, but with a maximum weight of 150 kg on the combustion side. A turbocharged V8 would certainly have done that. But of course it doesn’t sound like a naturally aspirated engine. And I think for me, and for many others, the pinnacle of the Formula 1 soundtrack was the high-revving V10s until the end of 2005.”
Red Bull RB17
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
“So when we created the Red Bull Powertrains group, we started looking at them. And we started thinking, ‘OK, is a 150kg naturally aspirated engine possible?’ And the answer was yes. But you have to spin the engine, which means using pneumatic valve seals.
So the question was, ‘OK, can they be practical?’ You can’t, like in the old days of Formula 1, take the head off every 1,000 miles. So yes, we worked a lot on that and the answer was, yes, it is possible.”
“So we went to a 4.5-liter, 15,000 rpm, 150-kilogram V10 engine. Lightness was an absolute key, because it always helps with controllability and lap time.”
“So in its lightest form, let’s say stripped down, it’s 875 kilograms with a 200 horsepower electric motor, so the power-to-weight ratio is excellent, similar or slightly higher than a Formula 1. Aerodynamically, as mentioned, together with the study done on the tyres it offers a potential lap time worthy of a true Formula 1.”
Red Bull RB17
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
The question then arose: could the RB17 be a candidate for the 24 Hours of Le Mans? Newey’s answer was yes, although it would require very different aerodynamics – as well as new suspension, which cannot be active – that would create less downforce than the road version.
“Whether the car can race at Le Mans? Yes. I mean, it’s possible. Of course, there would still be a lot of redesign work to do, especially on the aerodynamics. I think the car, for the rest, would be not bad at all. But the aerodynamics… Well, we would have to take away the active suspension and completely redesign the aerodynamics because it has too much downforce for the LMh rules.”
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