The Red Bull RB17 is a dramatic hypercar that's quicker around a track than a Formula 1 car, according to its creator, Adrian Newey. The 1,200hp, V10-powered RB17 has been revealed at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, ahead of Newey’s departure from Red Bull. A limited run of 50 examples will be produced.
- Red Bull RB17 is a track-only model
- Powered by a 1,000hp naturally aspirated V10 and a 200hp electric motor
- RB17 weighs just 805kg; has a top speed exceeding 350kph
Development of the RB17 kick-started in 2021, and the first firing of the Cosworth-developed engine on the dyno will be done later this year. The car is expected to turn a wheel for the first time in track testing next summer.
The RB17 is a successor of sorts to the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the first road car Newey was heavily involved in the engineering of during a now-defunct tie-up between Aston and Red Bull. But while the Valkyrie was designed to be road-legal, the RB17 is a pure track machine created by a team of around 120 engineers at Red Bull Advanced Technologies.
The specification of the RB17 includes active aerodynamics and suspension systems developed in F1. The sheer volume of technology enables a high degree of adjustability to myriad systems. While the performance levels are prodigious, Newey wants the carbon-fibre RB17 to remain accessible and exploitable, even for less-experienced drivers.
Red Bull RB17 powertrain
The original plan was to make the RB17 a four-wheel drive car with a twin-turbocharged V8 engine driving the rear wheels and an electric motor driving the front wheels. However, the final production model will use a high-revving, normally aspirated V10 that's mated to a more conventional hybrid system.
The 1,000hp V10 revs all the way to 15,000rpm. The carbon-fibre transmission, related to the one used in its F1 car, integrates a 200hp electric motor that not only provides performance assistance but also acts as a starter motor, a reverse gear, and helps the car move away from a standstill.
The RB17 weighs just 805kg in its lightest form – short of items such as air conditioning and a glass windscreen – and is around five metres long and two metres wide. Three tyre options will be offered, each developed in conjunction with Michelin. These include slicks that unlock the car’s full performance potential, achieving a top speed exceeding 350kph.
Although the car is not road-legal, Newey suggested that people will be able to convert it for road use should they wish. Being a track-only car from the factory, it is not bound by legislations around emissions and safety. However, Newey said it has been designed to comply with LMH motorsport safety regulations.
The RB17 is not eligible to compete in any existing race series, so Red Bull will instead offer customers bespoke track days and experiences. While its F1 drivers, including Verstappen, will drive the car on the simulator to aid development, a much broader range of drivers will also be invited to test it to ensure that it will be as accessible as possible.