Red Bull RB4
Encyclopedia
The Red Bull RB4 is a Formula One
racing car with which the Red Bull Racing
team competed in the 2008 Formula One season
.
-designed car; this car has had the help of Geoff Willis
whom the team had recruited from Honda in 2007. The car included the Renault R27-2008 engine, the second year the Renault engine had powered the Red Bull team.
The car was launched at the Jerez Circuit on the 16th of January 2008, the same day the RB4 was taken for its first shakedown laps by driver David Coulthard, Mark Webber got his first taste of the RB4 at the Valencia Circuit on 24th of January 2008, who described the car as "encouraging" and "a big step forward".
, that aims to prevent the use of driver aids such as traction control
and engine braking
.
At the February 1 test at Barcelona, the RB4 sported a radical new fin shaped engine cover. This was part of the first part of the aerodynamic package changes that most teams would make before the opening round in Australia. Webber drove the RB4 with the "Shark Fin"; Coulthard however took out a more normal shaped RB4.
However both drivers had a couple of small incidents, with Coulthard "kissing the wall" between turns 7 and 8 at the Circuit de Catalunya
on the 19th of February 2008, and Webber having some minor kerb damage on the monocoque, which could "not be repaired in time to resume testing" on his first day driving the RB4.
Even considering the setbacks and competitive times, the team and both drivers were making sure but steady progress throughout the 2008 testing season, optimising the RB4 to the new rules and regulations. The team was pleased with the car's performance through the testing season before the season opener in Melbourne
.
had the opportunity of testing the RB4 at the Barcelona test between the 18th and the 20th of February 2008 as Coulthard had a trapped nerve. Vettel tested the car on the 19th, the middle day of testing.
Vettel completed 109 laps, and came in 7th with a time of 1:22.558, the same day Webber came in 17th with a time of 1:23.458 after doing 58 laps, the top driver that day was Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren-Mercedes with a time of 1:21.234 after 81 laps completed.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing car with which the Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
team competed in the 2008 Formula One season
2008 Formula One season
The 2008 Formula One season was the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It began on 16 March and ended on 2 November with eighteen Grand Prix races....
.
Launch
The RB4 is the team's second Adrian NeweyAdrian Newey
Adrian Newey is a notable Formula One engineer and widely regarded one of the great engineers in the sport's history. He is the only designer to have won Constructors Championships with three different Formula One teams...
-designed car; this car has had the help of Geoff Willis
Geoff Willis
Geoffrey "Geoff" Willis is the Technology Director of Mercedes GP. He was also the Technical Director of Red Bull Racing team from 2007 to 2009 and Technical Director of Hispania Racing from 2010 to 2011....
whom the team had recruited from Honda in 2007. The car included the Renault R27-2008 engine, the second year the Renault engine had powered the Red Bull team.
The car was launched at the Jerez Circuit on the 16th of January 2008, the same day the RB4 was taken for its first shakedown laps by driver David Coulthard, Mark Webber got his first taste of the RB4 at the Valencia Circuit on 24th of January 2008, who described the car as "encouraging" and "a big step forward".
Technical developments
As all team had to conform to the new set of 2008 regulations, the RB4 had the new standard electronic control unit, produced by McLaren Electronic SystemsMcLaren Electronic Systems
McLaren Electronic Systems is a member of the McLaren Group that controls Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, a Formula One racing team and constructor....
, that aims to prevent the use of driver aids such as traction control
Traction control system
A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels...
and engine braking
Engine braking
Engine braking is where the retarding forces within an engine are used to slow a vehicle down, as opposed to using an external braking mechanism, for example friction brakes or magnetic brakes....
.
At the February 1 test at Barcelona, the RB4 sported a radical new fin shaped engine cover. This was part of the first part of the aerodynamic package changes that most teams would make before the opening round in Australia. Webber drove the RB4 with the "Shark Fin"; Coulthard however took out a more normal shaped RB4.
2008 season
Testing
The RB4 was a contender for "the best of the rest" title in testing for the 2008 season, with both Webber and Coulthard topping the timesheets.However both drivers had a couple of small incidents, with Coulthard "kissing the wall" between turns 7 and 8 at the Circuit de Catalunya
Circuit de Catalunya
The Circuit de Catalunya is a racetrack in Montmeló, to the north of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit.-History:...
on the 19th of February 2008, and Webber having some minor kerb damage on the monocoque, which could "not be repaired in time to resume testing" on his first day driving the RB4.
Even considering the setbacks and competitive times, the team and both drivers were making sure but steady progress throughout the 2008 testing season, optimising the RB4 to the new rules and regulations. The team was pleased with the car's performance through the testing season before the season opener in Melbourne
2008 Australian Grand Prix
The 2008 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 16 March 2008 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after...
.
Vettel testing RB4
Toro Rosso driver and future Red Bull driver Sebastian VettelSebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and ....
had the opportunity of testing the RB4 at the Barcelona test between the 18th and the 20th of February 2008 as Coulthard had a trapped nerve. Vettel tested the car on the 19th, the middle day of testing.
Vettel completed 109 laps, and came in 7th with a time of 1:22.558, the same day Webber came in 17th with a time of 1:23.458 after doing 58 laps, the top driver that day was Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren-Mercedes with a time of 1:21.234 after 81 laps completed.
Complete Formula One results
| Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bull Red Bull Racing Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the... |
Renault Renault F1 Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking... V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... |
AUS 2008 Australian Grand Prix The 2008 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 16 March 2008 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after... |
MAL 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix The 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 23, 2008 at the Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia. It was the 2nd race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 56 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after starting... |
BHR 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix The 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 6, 2008 at the Bahrain International Circuit, in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the third race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team... |
ESP 2008 Spanish Grand Prix The 2008 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on April 27, 2008 at the Circuit de Catalunya, Spain. It was the fourth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 66 laps, was won by Kimi Räikkönen for the Ferrari team after starting from pole position... |
TUR 2008 Turkish Grand Prix The 2008 Turkish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 11, 2008 at the Istanbul Racing Circuit, Istanbul, Turkey. It was the fifth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from pole... |
MON 2008 Monaco Grand Prix The 2008 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 25, 2008, at the Circuit de Monaco; contested over 76 laps, it was the sixth race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race was won by the season's eventual Drivers' Champion, Lewis Hamilton, for the McLaren team... |
CAN 2008 Canadian Grand Prix The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 8, 2008 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada. It was the 7th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 70 laps, was won by Robert Kubica for the BMW Sauber team after starting from... |
FRA 2008 French Grand Prix The 2008 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 22, 2008 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France. This race is the last French Grand Prix. It was the eighth race of the 2008 Formula One season... |
GBR 2008 British Grand Prix The 2008 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 6 July 2008 at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, England. It was the 9th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 60 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from fourth... |
GER 2008 German Grand Prix The 2008 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 20, 2008 at the Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany. It was the 10th race of the 2008 Formula One season and was contested over 67 laps. It was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after starting from pole... |
HUN 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix The 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 3, 2008, at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary. It was the 11th race of the 2008 Formula One season. Contested over 70 laps, the race was won by Heikki Kovalainen for the McLaren team, from a second... |
EUR 2008 European Grand Prix The 2008 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 24, 2008 at the Valencia Street Circuit, Valencia, Spain. It was the 12th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from pole... |
BEL 2008 Belgian Grand Prix The 2008 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 7, 2008, at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps near the town of Spa, Belgium. It was the 13th race of the 2008 Formula One season... |
ITA 2008 Italian Grand Prix The 2008 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 14, 2008 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy. It was the 14th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 53 laps, was won by Sebastian Vettel for the Toro Rosso team after starting... |
SIN 2008 Singapore Grand Prix The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, formally known as the 2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, was a Formula One race held on 28 September 2008 at the newly built Marina Bay Street Circuit in Marina Bay, Singapore... |
JPN 2008 Japanese Grand Prix The 2008 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 12, 2008, at the Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Japan. It was the 16th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 67 laps, was won by Fernando Alonso for the Renault team from fourth position on the starting... |
CHN 2008 Chinese Grand Prix The 2008 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 19, 2008 at the Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. It was the 17th and penultimate race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 56 laps, was won by Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team after... |
BRA 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 2, 2008, at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Interlagos, in São Paulo, Brazil. It was the 18th and final race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 71 laps, was won by Ferrari driver Felipe Massa... |
29 | 7th | |||
| Coulthard David Coulthard David Marshall Coulthard, MBE, , sometimes known as DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland.Coulthard, who was born in Dumfries and raised nearby in Twynholm, made his Formula One debut in 1994 and won 13 Grands Prix in a career spanning 15 seasons... |
Ret | 9 | 18 | 12 | 9 | Ret | 3 | 9 | Ret | 13 | 11 | 17 | 11 | 16 | 7 | Ret | 10 | Ret | ||||||
| Webber Mark Webber Mark Alan Webber is an Australian Formula One driver.After some racing success in Australia, Webber moved to the United Kingdom in 1995 to further his motorsport career... |
Ret | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 10 | Ret | 9 | 12 | 8 | 8 | Ret | 8 | 14 | 9 |