Red Bull Motorsports
F1
Stunning new RB17 hypercar revealed at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Oracle Red Bull Racing unveiled their latest creation, the stunning new RB17 hypercar, lifting the lid in front of thousands of motorsport fans at the UK's famous Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Motoring fans were gifted an incredible first look at the hottest new hypercar on the planet at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, as Red Bull Advanced Technologies unveiled the brand-new RB17 at the famed British event.
The jaw-dropping track car – effectively a two-seater F1 car – is designed by Oracle Red Bull Racing's Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey, the most successful designer in Formula 1 history, and the team at Red Bull Advanced Technologies.
The RB17 is essentially a two-seater F1 car
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
"I had been mulling around the idea to take on the challenge to design our very own hypercar, from concept to delivery, for many years and it has been a magnificent project and journey," said Newey. "For it to finally be the day we pull the covers off and see the birth of the RB17, is truly remarkable.
"The RB17 embraces everything we stand for: undeniable power, speed and beauty. It is very adaptable in its abilities and we made sure to design it as a two-seater, so that the thrill of driving at F1 speeds can be enjoyed with a friend or partner."
Front quarter view of the RB17 hypercar from Red Bull Advanced Technologies
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Front view of the RB17 hypercar from Red Bull Advanced Technologies
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Profile of the RB17 hypercar from Red Bull Advanced Technologies
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Rear view of the RB17 hypercar from Red Bull Advanced Technologies
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
The RB17 will be Newey's final piece for the team and builds on the legacy of 20 years of innovation in Formula 1 that's delivered six Constructors' Titles and seven Drivers' Championships to Oracle Red Bull Racing. The reveal was also the first of a weekend-long celebration of 20 years of Oracle Red Bull Racing that formed the centrepiece of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Combining technical innovation, achievement and emotional appeal, the RB17 is a landmark car. I'm very proud of the team
Newey was joined at the reveal by Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner, who hailed the RB17 as "a future classic".
"We are excited to reveal the RB17 at Goodwood Festival of Speed, a project that is one of the most authentic and exciting that Red Bull Advanced Technologies has embarked upon to date.
"With 20 years of legacy in the world of F1 to draw from, and as a performance-centred organisation, it only made sense for us to design our own hypercar from the ground up. Combining technical innovation, achievement and emotional appeal, the RB17 is a landmark car. I'm very proud of the team and delighted to see it make its world debut. We expect the RB17 to be a future classic."
Listen to Adrian Newey talking about the RB17 in Oracle Red Bull Racing's Talking Bull podcast below:
Red Bull Advanced Technologies' Technical Director, Rob Gray, said: "The RB17 is an amazing project that we are privileged to work on and has allowed Red Bull Advanced Technologies to showcase our engineering, design, technical capabilities and solutions. We cannot wait to see the finished cars being enjoyed to the full on a racetrack by racing and automotive enthusiasts alike."
From all angles the RB17 looks seriously fast
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
The RB17 embraces everything we stand for
The RB17: built to perform
Adrian Newey and Red Bull Advanced Technologies designed the RB17 to be the last word in performance, using F1 technology and aerodynamics to deliver the performance of an F1 car in a two-seater. The downforce and drag ratio is closer to an aircraft than a car.
The chassis is a carbon fibre monocoque to minimise weight, with power coming from a semi-stressed, mid-mounted and naturally aspirated V10 engine red-lined at 15,000rpm. Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a carbon-fibre gearbox.
Weighing less than 900kg and with more than 1,200HP, the RB17 delivers F1-equivalent lap times and top speeds in excess of 350kph, pulling about 5G under braking all while remaining easy to own and operate.
Only 50 models will be sold, with owners joining a programme of track events at some of the greatest circuits in the world. Limiting production to 50 models was another deliberate choice, Newey explained. That limit means that it's possible to produce the RB17 entirely under the roof of the Red Bull Advanced Technologies factory, with key parts sourced from the same suppliers used by the F1 team.
Anyone in the marker for a two-seater F1 car?
© Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
A product of sound design
While the RB17 represents the pinnacle of automotive engineering, it's also intended to be a work of art, combing its beautiful looks with a symphony of racing sounds. "It should be a work of art that you're happy to display as such in your house or your garage," Newey told Autosport magazine.
The choice of engine was a deliberate one and Newey searched for the perfect soundtrack to match the car’s jaw-dropping racing lines: "I wanted a power unit that was capable of developing 1000hp, but with a maximum weight of 150kg on the combustion side.
"A turbo V8 would have certainly given that, but, obviously, it doesn't sound as good as a naturally aspirated engine. The height of the sort of audio soundtrack for Formula 1 was the high-revving V10s until the end of 2005."
Naming the RB17
The RB17 name is also a careful choice, taking up an unused chassis name from the F1 team. Due to disruption from the global pandemic, the car Max Verstappen drove to his first world title in 2021 was the RB16B – a new iteration of 2020's RB16. In 2022, Max defended his title and helped secure the Constructors' Championship in the RB18.
Lifting the lid on the RB17
The RB17 was unveiled to the world in a display at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the world's biggest celebration of motorsport, allowing fans to drink in the beauty of the new hypercar.
The RB17 reveal is the first part in of a wider celebration of Oracle Red Bull Racing's 20 years in F1 being held at Goodwood this year. Formula One world champion Max Verstappen made his debut at the event, taking part in the hill climb alongside a host of present and past Red Bull Racing drivers, including Sergio Pérez, Daniel Ricciardo, David Coulthard and Mark Webber, before joining many of the team's biggest stars on the balcony at Goodwood House.
Oracle Red Bull Racing took centre stage at Goodwood Festival of Speed
© Eisa Bakos/Red Bull Content Pool
And across the event, a galaxy of Red Bull stars were in action, including Carlos Sainz, Kalle Rovanperä and 'Mad' Mike Whiddett in his new MADMAC – a drifting McLaren P1.
