F1
After 14 seasons of sterling work, our home from home at the F1 has been replaced. Here's all you need to know about the new-for-2019 Energy Station.
The European Formula One season heralds the return of the F1 paddock in its full glory, with transporters, treehouses and motorhomes. After 14 seasons of sterling work, Red Bull's home from home has been replaced and the new Red Bull F1 Energy Station looks rather different. It's nicknamed the 'F1 Holzhaus' (or Wood House).
The original Red Bull Holzhaus is a MotoGP motorhome that debuted last year with a one-off F1 appearance at the Austrian Grand Prix. It proved a big success and so it wasn’t long before the decision was taken to build a new home suitable for the teams’ needs.
This year, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing get a Holzhaus to call their own. Unveiled at the Spanish Grand Prix, it will be bigger than the original – but still made of sustainably-sourced Austrian timber.
The new Energy Station will be something of a behemoth and, at 1221 sq m, it offers 27 percent more floor space than its predecessor. It can be erected in less than two days and taken down in one by a crew of 25, and uses a natural convection design intended to do away with the need for air conditioning.
While simplicity lies at the heart of the new Energy Station’s function, it’s certainly a very complex structure. So, just to keep things interesting, after the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the crew will take it down in a hurry, transport it to Imperia on the Italian Riviera, and rebuild it there on a barge, to be towed to Monte Carlo.
Take a look at the interior and exterior of the F1 Holzhaus below:
FAQs on the new Red Bull F1 Energy Station
When did the idea to build a new home come around?
The building was commissioned by Red Bull in July 2018 (shortly after the MotoGP Holzhaus made a guest appearance at the Austrian Grand Prix). Its first build was at the Salzburgring on April 2, 2019.
When do we get to see it?
The new F1 Energy Station debuted at the 2019 Spanish Grand Prix and will appear at nine European races in 2019.
How big is it?
The new F1 Energy Station is 27 percent larger than the old one – 32m long, 14m wide and 11m high.
1221 sq m of total space, composed of:
- 436 sq m on the ground floor
- 410 square metres on the first floor
- 375 sq m of roof top
How's it assembled?
A crew of 25 will build the structure in 32 hours and take it down even more quickly.
What else have you got inside it?
There are 26 Red Bull coolers, 59 TV screens, 32km of cables, 417m³ of sustainably-sourced Austrian timber, 211m² of artificial grass carpet. The kitchen will serve 100kg of pasta, 120kg of fish and 180kg of meat at every race.
