Red Bull’s new RB19 will roll for the first time in a shakedown at Silverstone next week, but the version shown at the New York launch is not a reflection of its 2023 car.
At a high-profile launch event in Manhattan on Friday, Red Bull confirmed a future partnership with Ford starting in 2026, somewhat overshadowing the upcoming season preview and car reveal.
And all the more so since the chassis that was presented is not the final RB19 but an adaptation of the RB18 from last year.
The New Car Will Hit The Track
The new car will hit the track for the first time in the UK in a week. Then further developments will be introduced ahead of pre-season testing in Bahrain which, according to team principal Christian Horner, will lead to a much different version.
“I think the car we showed will be a bit different when you see it in Bahrain. Today was really about launching the team’s aspirations for the coming year, the partners we have and of course the exciting partnership we have with Ford.”
“To do it here in the United States, in this market, is the very first time for Red Bull Racing. So yeah, what you’ve seen is obviously not a full reflection of what’s going to happen on the track in Bahrain in a few weeks.”
The real RB19 is still being finished in Milton Keynes and even Max Verstappen admits he hasn’t seen it yet.
“To be honest, I haven’t seen it. I only talked to the engineers about the performance and handling improvements to the car. I haven’t seen any photos or renderings because that kind of stuff I’m not interested. I just want a fast car. And whatever that looks like to me.”
This article is originally published on motorsport.nextgen-auto.com
