Red Bull Racing facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the British-based Formula One team. For the former NASCAR team, see Red Bull Racing Team. For the Italian-based Formula One team, see Racing Bulls. For the MotoGP team, see Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. For other uses, see Red Bull Racing (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT
Formula One World Championship career

Full name	Oracle Red Bull Racing
Base	Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England
Team principal(s)	Laurent Mekies (CEO and Team Principal)
Technical Director	Pierre Waché
Founder(s)	Dietrich Mateschitz
Previous name	Jaguar Racing F1 Team
First entry	2005 Australian Grand Prix
Last entry	2019 Monaco Grand Prix
Races entered	304 (303 starts)
Engines	Cosworth, Ferrari, Renault, TAG Heuer, Honda, RBPT
Constructors' Championships	6 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022, 2023)
Drivers' Championships	8 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Race victories	64
Podiums	182
Points	5043.5
Pole positions	63
Fastest laps	68
2024 position	3rd (589 pts)

Red Bull Racing, which currently races as Oracle Red Bull Racing, is one of the most successful teams in Formula One. Even though the team is based in the United Kingdom, it races with an Austrian license because its owner is the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH.

The team is famous for winning many championships with legendary drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. From its start in 2005 until mid-2025, the team was managed by Christian Horner. He was then replaced by Laurent Mekies.

Red Bull has used engines from many different suppliers, including Cosworth, Ferrari, and Renault. The team won its first four championships with Renault engines from 2010 to 2013.

Later, they partnered with Honda and won the Drivers' Championship with Max Verstappen in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. They also won the Constructors' Championship (the prize for the best team overall) in 2022 and 2023. Even though Honda officially left F1 after 2021, they continue to supply engines to the team.

History
Team Image and Marketing
Red Bull's Other Companies
Sister Formula One Team
Racing Record
- Drivers' Champions
Images for kids
See also

History

How It All Began

Red Bull first got into Formula One by sponsoring the Sauber team in 1995.

The team we know as Red Bull Racing today started out as Stewart Grand Prix in 1997, a team founded by F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart. In 1999, the Ford Motor Company bought the team and renamed it Jaguar Racing. However, the team didn't have much success.

In 2004, Ford decided to sell the team. The energy drink company Red Bull bought it for a symbolic $1, promising to invest $400 million into the team over the next three seasons. They hired Christian Horner as the team boss and drivers David Coulthard and Christian Klien.

Early Years (2005–2008)

Red Bull Racing's first year in 2005 was a big success compared to Jaguar. They scored more points in one season than Jaguar had in its final two years. The team quickly became known for being a solid points scorer.

In 2006, the team switched to Ferrari engines. That year, David Coulthard scored the team's first-ever podium finish (a top-three result) at the Monaco Grand Prix.

For 2007, the team began using Renault engines, a partnership that would later bring them great success. They also signed Australian driver Mark Webber to drive alongside Coulthard.

The Championship Years with Renault (2009–2013)

Sebastian Vettel driving the RB5 car during pre-season testing in 2009.

In 2009, a young German driver named Sebastian Vettel joined the team. At the Chinese Grand Prix, Vettel gave Red Bull its first-ever pole position and its first-ever race win. It was a huge moment for the team.

From 2010 to 2013, Red Bull Racing and Sebastian Vettel were almost unstoppable. They won four Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in a row. The team's cars, designed by the brilliant Adrian Newey, were the fastest on the track.

This period also had some drama. At the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix, the team gave the order "Multi-21," which meant Mark Webber (car #2) should finish ahead of Sebastian Vettel (car #1). However, Vettel ignored the order, overtook his teammate, and won the race, which caused a lot of tension within the team.

The Hybrid Era and a New Star (2014–2018)

Daniel Ricciardo won three races for Red Bull in 2014.

In 2014, Formula One introduced new, complex V6 hybrid engines. Red Bull's Renault engine was not as powerful as the one from Mercedes, and the team struggled to compete for championships.

Daniel Ricciardo joined the team and won three races in his first year. In 2016, a teenage sensation named Max Verstappen was promoted to the team. In his very first race for Red Bull at the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen won, becoming the youngest race winner in F1 history.

The relationship with Renault became strained due to the engine's performance. From 2016 to 2018, the team used Renault engines but branded them as TAG Heuer.

The Honda Partnership and Return to Glory (2019–2024)

Max Verstappen became a superstar with Red Bull after joining in 2016.

In 2019, Red Bull switched to Honda engines, hoping this new partnership would bring them back to the top. After a few seasons of building up, the team found incredible success.

In 2021, Max Verstappen won his first World Drivers' Championship in a thrilling season-long battle with Lewis Hamilton. The championship was decided on the very last lap of the final race in Abu Dhabi. After the season, it was found that the team had spent slightly more money than the rules allowed. As a penalty, they were fined and given less time to develop their car's aerodynamics.

The team continued its success, winning both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in 2022. In 2023, Red Bull had one of the most dominant seasons in F1 history. Their car, the RB19, won 21 out of 22 races, with Verstappen winning a record 19 of them.

In 2024, Verstappen won his fourth consecutive Drivers' Championship. However, the team faced a tougher challenge from McLaren and finished third in the Constructors' Championship.

A Challenging 2025 Season

The 2025 season began with major changes. Famous car designer Adrian Newey and driver Sergio Pérez both left the team. Young driver Liam Lawson was promoted to race alongside Verstappen.

The team had a difficult start to the season. After just two races with disappointing results for Lawson, he was moved back to the sister team, Racing Bulls. In his place, Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to the main Red Bull team. Following the 2025 British Grand Prix, team principal Christian Horner also left his role and was replaced by Laurent Mekies.

A New Era with Ford (2026 onwards)

Starting in 2026, Formula One will have new engine rules. The engines will have a greater focus on electric power. For this new era, Red Bull will partner with the American car company Ford. They will work together to build the new power units under the name Red Bull Ford Powertrains.

Team Image and Marketing

A cool Red Bull stand shaped like a racing helmet.

Red Bull is known for bringing fun and excitement to Formula One. They often run special promotions linked to movies.

At the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix, the pit crew dressed up as clone troopers to promote Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
At the 2006 Monaco race, they promoted Superman Returns. When David Coulthard finished on the podium, he wore a Superman cape!
For the 2019 British Grand Prix, the cars featured 007 logos and special James Bond-themed license plates to celebrate the 1007th F1 race.

Red Bull's Other Companies

Red Bull doesn't just race cars; they design and build them too. They have special companies that handle the high-tech engineering.

Red Bull Technology is the company that designs and builds the chassis (the main frame of the car) for the F1 team.
Red Bull Advanced Technologies works on other cool projects. They helped design the Aston Martin Valkyrie supercar and are building their own hypercar, the RB17.

Sister Formula One Team

In 2005, Red Bull bought the Minardi F1 team and renamed it Scuderia Toro Rosso (which is Italian for "Team Red Bull"). This team acts as a "junior" or sister team to Red Bull Racing. Its main purpose is to train talented young drivers from the Red Bull Junior Program.

Many of Red Bull's greatest drivers started at this sister team, including Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, and Max Verstappen. The team has been renamed twice, first to Scuderia AlphaTauri in 2020 and then to Visa Cash App RB in 2024.

Racing Record

(Bold indicates a championship was won.)

Year	Name	Car	Engine	Tyres	No.	Drivers	Points	Position
2005	Red Bull Racing	RB1	Cosworth TJ2005 3.0 V10	M	14. 15. 15.	David Coulthard Christian Klien Vitantonio Liuzzi	34	7th
2006	Red Bull Racing	RB2	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8	M	14. 15. 15.	David Coulthard Christian Klien Robert Doornbos	16	7th
2007	Red Bull Racing	RB3	Renault RS27 2.4 V8	B	14. 15.	David Coulthard Mark Webber	24	5th
2008	Red Bull Racing	RB4	Renault RS27 2.4 V8	B	9. 10.	David Coulthard Mark Webber	29	7th
2009	Red Bull Racing	RB5	Renault RS27 2.4 V8	B	14. 15.	Mark Webber Sebastian Vettel	153.5	2nd
2010	Red Bull Racing	RB6	Renault RS27-2010 2.4 V8	B	5. 6.	Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber	498	1st
2011	Red Bull Racing Renault	RB7	Renault RS27-2011 2.4 V8	P	1. 2.	Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber	650	1st
2012	Red Bull Racing Renault	RB8	Renault RS27-2012 2.4 V8	P	1. 2.	Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber	460	1st
2013	Infiniti Red Bull Racing Renault	RB9	Renault RS27-2013 2.4 V8	P	1. 2.	Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber	596	1st
2014	Infiniti Red Bull Racing Renault	RB10	Renault Energy F1-2014 1.6 V6 t	P	1. 3.	Sebastian Vettel Daniel Ricciardo	405	2nd
2015	Infiniti Red Bull Racing Renault	RB11	Renault Energy F1-2015 1.6 V6 t	P	3. 26.	Daniel Ricciardo Daniil Kvyat	187	4th
2016	Red Bull Racing	RB12	TAG Heuer 1.6 V6 t	P	3. 26. 33.	Daniel Ricciardo Daniil Kvyat Max Verstappen	468	2nd
2017	Red Bull Racing	RB13	TAG Heuer 1.6 V6 t	P	3. 33.	Daniel Ricciardo Max Verstappen	368	3rd
2018	Aston Martin Red Bull Racing	RB14	TAG Heuer 1.6 V6 t	P	3. 33.	Daniel Ricciardo Max Verstappen	419	3rd
2019	Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda	RB15	Honda RA619H 1.6 V6 t	P	10. 23. 33.	Pierre Gasly Alex Albon Max Verstappen	417	3rd
2020	Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda	RB16	Honda RA620H 1.6 V6 t	P	23. 33.	Alex Albon Max Verstappen	319	2nd
2021	Red Bull Racing Honda	RB16B	Honda RA621H 1.6 V6 t	P	11. 33.	Sergio Pérez Max Verstappen	585.5	2nd
2022	Oracle Red Bull Racing	RB18	Red Bull RBPTH001 1.6 V6 t	P	1. 11.	Max Verstappen Sergio Pérez	759	1st
2023	Oracle Red Bull Racing	RB19	Honda RBPTH001 1.6 V6 t	P	1. 11.	Max Verstappen Sergio Pérez	860	1st
2024	Oracle Red Bull Racing	RB20	Honda RBPTH002 1.6 V6 t	P	1. 11.	Max Verstappen Sergio Pérez	589	3rd
2025	Oracle Red Bull Racing	RB21	Honda RBPTH003 1.6 V6 t	P	1. 22. 30.	Max Verstappen Yuki Tsunoda Liam Lawson	319*	2nd*
Source:

* Season still in progress.

Drivers' Champions

The following drivers won the Formula One Drivers' Championship for Red Bull:

Sebastian Vettel (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Max Verstappen (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Images for kids

Vitantonio Liuzzi driving for Red Bull during the 2005 British Grand Prix.
David Coulthard driving the RB2 at the 2006 German Grand Prix.
Robert Doornbos replaced Klien for the last three races of the 2006 season.
Mark Webber driving for the team at the 2007 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Webber driving a car with a special "Wings for Life" charity livery at the 2007 British Grand Prix.
Mark Webber driving for Red Bull at the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix.
Vettel won the 2010 World Drivers' Championship at the final race in Abu Dhabi.
Sebastian Vettel competing at the 2011 Italian Grand Prix.
Sebastian Vettel disobeyed team orders to overtake teammate Mark Webber at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen helped the team win two races during the 2016 season.
Max Verstappen during the 2017 Australian Grand Prix.
Red Bull Racing celebrates a double podium finish in the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen at the 2018 British Grand Prix.
Alex Albon racing at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix.
Sergio Pérez at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix.
Sergio Pérez at the 2022 Miami Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix.
Sergio Pérez at the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix.
Yuki Tsunoda driving a special white Red Bull livery at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.