Red Bull unveils its new RB16B

Still powered by Honda, the new weapon of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez was presented this Tuesday.

Published on 23/02/2021 à 12:06

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Red Bull presented its new Honda-powered RB16B this Tuesday: a sober launch with the broadcast of a few photos and a short video online.

As its name suggests, the latest creation from the Milton Keynes workshops (United Kingdom) will be greatly inspired by the RB16 chassis fielded in 2020 and winner on two occasions in the hands of the inevitable Max Verstappen.

« The RB16 will retain 60% of the parts of the RB16 » confided team principal Christian Horner last December. Capricious, particularly at the rear end, the 2020 Red Bull improved through the developments made last season to finish on the top step of the podium in Abu Dhabi.

The rivals of Mercedes hope to start with the same dynamic in 2021 but they have often experienced sluggish starts in the hybrid era.

The other novelty at Red Bull this season is behind the wheel with the arrival of Sergio Pérez alongside the Dutch leader. The experienced Mexican (31 years old) will have the mission to do better than his predecessor Alexander albon and thus help Red Bull launch the assault against the Silver Arrows.

The Austrian team finds itself somewhat at a crossroads in 2021. Certainly, the Red Bull group recently formalized the launch of its entity Red Bull Powertrains in order to recover and exploit Honda technology in the years to come but he could also lose his centerpiece on the transfer market.

Verstappen may be under contract until 2023 with Red Bull, but Horner recently admitted that there were performance-related early exit clauses in his star driver's deal. However, Mercedes could have one or two free places in 2022. Will the Dutchman resist the temptation if the results are still not there in Milton Keynes?

Red Bull leaders can hammer as much as they want the virtuoso Orange believes in the in-house project and wants to be a long-term project, the years go by and Verstappen has never yet had equipment that matches his talent.

This shows the major challenge that this new RB16B must meet.