Red Bull RB5

Technical specifications

New rules in place for the 2009 season required cars to have narrower and higher rear wings and wider and lower front wings, designed to reduce air disturbance to following cars and hence make overtaking easier.{{cite web |access-date=2009-02-09}}{{cite web |access-date= 2009-02-11}} Slick tyres were re-introduced into Formula One, after being absent since 1998.{{cite web |access-date=2009-02-11}} This was expected to increase the RB5's tyre grip by about 20%.

There was a possibility that the RB5 could feature a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), which would allow energy which would otherwise be wasted while braking to be re-used in set amounts per lap, via a boost button on the driver's steering wheel. This was the result of new rules for the 2009 season. Red Bull originally attempted to develop their own system, but a factory fire resulting from overheated batteries stalled progress.{{cite web |access-date=2009-02-11}} In January 2009 Red Bull announced that they would use an identical KERS system to the Renault team, in an extension of the existing customer engine deal between the teams. However the RB5 never did race with KERS.

2009 season

Launch

The RB5 was launched later than most of its rivals, to allow a longer development time at the expense of a shorter testing time.{{cite web |access-date= 2009-02-12}} Red Bull expected the RB5 to be more competitive than its predecessor, the RB4, which achieved a single podium in 2008.{{cite web |access-date=2009-02-12}} Vettel was optimistic when questioned about the car's potential:

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Sebastian Vettel, who (since joining [Scuderia Toro Rosso) makes it a habit to name his racing cars, named his Red Bull RB5 'Kate' and after crashing it at Melbourne's Albert Park, he named his new chassis 'Kate's Dirty Sister'.

Testing

Initial tests of the RB5 at Jerez were halted when high gearbox oil temperatures were detected.{{cite web |access-date=2009-02-12}} When the issue was resolved the RB5 was the quickest 2009 specification car at Jerez, where Vettel was faster than the equivalent Williams, McLaren and Renault cars.{{cite web |access-date=2009-02-12}} Webber returned to the cockpit after breaking his leg while cycling in November 2008; he completed 83 laps in the RB5, around the distance of a Grand Prix, and reported no problems whilst lapping faster than Vettel the previous day.{{cite web |access-date=2009-02-12}}

Season performance

Early in the season the car showed huge performance with Vettel taking the first win for the team in China with Webber in second place giving the team their first 1-2 ever. As the season progressed the car continued to show its pace and by the mid-season its pace had increased to the point where it had overtaken the Brawn BGP 001 as the fastest car on the grid.

The car started the season with a narrow needle like nose (as was the common practice for that year.) However, for the , the nose was replaced with a flatter wider nose. This design was used by Red Bull for the remainder of the V8 era.

Chassis log

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Driver failed to finish, but was classified as they had completed 90% of the race distance.

Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance completed.

References

References

1. (2009-02-09). "RB5". redbullf1.com.
2. "The Cars".
3. (2010-07-02). "Red Bull reward technical head Adrian Newey with F1 car". BBC News.
4. (2010-03-08). "Vettel names 2010 car 'Luscious Liz'". Motorsport.com.
5. (11 November 2009). "F1 2009: Chassis listing". [[Telegraph Media Group.
6. (9 February 2009). "Red Bull Racing F1: Shakedown in Jerez for the RB5".
7. (20 June 2009). "Red Bull Jerez Test Notes 2009-02-10".
8. (20 June 2009). "Red Bull Jerez Test Notes 2009-02-13".
9. "Red Bull RB5:02".
10. "Red Bull RB5:03".
11. "Red Bull RB5:04".