Red Bull flattered by F1 rivals’ car copies
New Red Bull breaks down on Jerez debut
New Red Bull RB6 ‘an evolution’ – Vettel
New partnership for Red Bull Racing and Pepe Jeans
Time for a new deal with Casio
Red Bull Racing trades up with FXDD

The RB6 was unveiled at the Jerez Circuit in Spain this morning at 0830hrs ahead of its first day of testing.

Adrian Newey, Chief Technical Officer: “The RB6 is very much an evolution of the 2009 car; we tried to refine and evolve it rather than go to new concepts. As a result, the car looks similar with elements such as the chassis and pull-rod rear suspension retained.

“The two main challenges were the larger fuel tank and the smaller front tyre. With the fuel tank, there was more to it than simply putting a bigger tank in the car – it puts more load on the brakes, so the brake cooling has to cope with that and you also have to consider what effect that extra fuel will have on the tyre degradation early in the race and if there’s anything we should change mechanically to cope with that.

“ The narrower front tyre changes weight distribution and the balance of the car. I think it’s a sensible evolution of the 2009 car. One obvious difference is that the 2009 car was not designed to suit a double-diffuser and we had to try to put one on as best we could around the existing rear suspension and gear box. With this car we’ve been able to design that part of the car from scratch.”

Christian Horner, Team Principal: “2009 was a massive year for the team and I think we took a huge step forward. Red Bull Racing’s still a relatively young team and so the lessons that we learned last year will serve us well going into 2010. The performance of the car developed throughout 2009 and I believe we ended the year with the best chassis.

“We’ve had stability over the winter and continuity in all areas, so I think we’re in good shape. We completely respect the quality of our opponents, but we’re setting ourselves aggressive targets. It’s fantastic to see the car finally taking to the track after so much hard work and effort.”

Red Bull flattered by F1 rivals’ car copies

Red Bull figures on Wednesday said they were flattered that so many rival cars now resemble the Milton Keynes-designed single seater.

After the RB5 finished the 2009 season as the dominant car, many new contenders have hit the test tracks this winter resembling features of the Red Bull.

For instance, the new Mercedes, Virgin and Ferrari racers feature the distinctive raised nose edges ahead of the cockpit, while the front of the Williams is high and wide, like the so-called Red Bull ‘duck’s beak’.

The McLaren and Sauber, meanwhile, feature very high noses, all of which caused Adrian Newey to confess to feeling “satisfied” about leading F1′s prevalent design philosophy.

“I suppose it is satisfying, yes, that is the honest truth,” the Red Bull designer said at Jerez.

Australian driver Mark Webber, who gave Red Bull’s new RB6 is debut outing at the Spanish circuit on Wednesday morning, added: “It shows how clever Adrian Newey is that a lot of people copied our car.”

New Red Bull breaks down on Jerez debut

 Smiles turned to consternation in the Red Bull garage on Wednesday after the RB6 was launched in the pitlane.

After a mostly wet morning at the wheel of the new Renault powered car, Mark Webber had to walk back to the pits after it broke down with an oil leak.

The team said the stoppage was actually “precautionary”, and Australian Webber also played down the problem as being “nothing major”.

The RB6 is clearly an evolution of the highly competitive 2009 car, but its double diffuser is clearly new, as the rear device was carefully covered during the launch.

Also notable was the presence of the former Renault sponsor Pepe Jeans on the livery.

Sebastian Vettel, watching on from the pitwall on Wednesday, said he is yet to give the car a personal name, after last year’s RB5 was humorously called ‘Kate’s Dirty Sister’ because it was faster than the 2008 car, ‘Kate’.

Webber was yet to set a front-running time by the time of the oil leak.

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg was consistently quick throughout the opening morning of the Jerez test, ahead of the Toro Rosso (Sebastien Buemi) and Williams (Nico Hulkenberg) cars.

Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest for Ferrari, ahead of Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber).

Jenson Button’s new McLaren was featuring a bizarre and huge sensor attached to one side of the cockpit, but the British team said it did not indicate an aerodynamic problem.

Tonio Liuzzi gave Force India’s VJM03 its proper test debut, and at the time of writing, Timo Glock had only just exited the pits at the wheel of the new Virgin.

New Red Bull RB6 ‘an evolution’ – Vettel

The new car to be unveiled and debuted at Jerez on Wednesday morning is an “evolution” of its successful 2009 predecessor, Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel has revealed.

The launch of the RB6, because it is the last of the main contenders to be revealed in 2010, and also because the team finished the 2009 season as the pacesetter, is highly anticipated.

“The RB6 will be more of an evolution,” Vettel said.  “Therefore, we decided to not be there at the first (Valencia) test.”

Vettel, still just 22 but tipped by Bernie Ecclestone and others as the 2010 championship favourite, will take over the car from his Australian teammate Mark Webber on Friday.

A day later, he will be in action as the test concludes, when his countryman, friend and Race of Champions teammate Michael Schumacher is running for Mercedes GP.

Asked about competing with the 41-year-old this year, the German told Motorsport Aktuell: “If he has most of the (media) reports, but I have most of the trophies, that will be alright with me.”

New partnership for Red Bull Racing and Pepe Jeans

Red Bull Racing announces that Pepe Jeans, one of the top youth fashion brands, has become a Team Partner for the coming season, meaning it’s not just the RB6 getting a fashionable update for 2010.

Pepe Jeans, which has over 200 stores worldwide, will be visible on the sidepods of the RB6, on Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel’s overalls, as well as across Red Bull Racing’s other partner areas within the Formula One paddock.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing Team Principal commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Pepe Jeans to Red Bull Racing. Being a young, fashionable brand they are an excellent fit with Red Bull and we’re very much looking forward to working with them. They have a long history of working with Formula One and we’re very pleased that they are joining our select group of premium Team Partners.”

About Pepe Jeans Established in 1973 in London’s chic Portobello Rd, Pepe Jeans London quickly established a UK stronghold in the 70′s followed by rapid global expansion in the 80′s, personifying the cool youthful lifestyle of its London’s origins. Today, the Pepe Jeans brand continues to broaden its horizons by being present on 5 continents and over 50 countries, securing its indisputable place as a global leader in Premium Jeanswear.

Time for a new deal with Casio

Red Bull Racing is pleased to announce that Team Partner, Casio Computer Co. Ltd. has renewed its contract for 2010 following a successful partnership in 2009. The Japanese marque will use the new agreement to actively promote its Edifice line of analogue metal watches for men with a deal that is significantly larger than in 2009.

The new partnership will mean the Casio branding will be extended from the drivers’ overalls, to team wear, team overalls and across Red Bull Racing’s other partner branding areas. The team and drivers will wear Edifice watches and a special edition Red Bull Racing watch will also be produced for retail.

The Edifice range, which is popular with motorsport fans due to impressive stopwatch functions and standout face designs, reflects elements of speed and intelligence. Some models even feature carbon-fibre design making the range a good fit to Formula One and Red Bull Racing.

“We are pleased to extend our relationship with Casio and Edifice watches,” said Team Principal, Christian Horner. “Everything we do as a team is aimed at producing the fastest and most reliable car in Formula One, which fits with the Edifice brand concept of ‘speed and intelligence’. We look forward to an exciting season in 2010.”

“Both Red Bull Racing and EDIFICE have experienced a fruitful partnership in 2009 and we look forward to further sharpening our profile as a global watch manufacturer providing beneficial timepiece functions to motorsports enthusiasts and to those who love to wear the latest time keeping technologies and designs”, said Yuichi Masuda, Senior General Manager of Timepiece Product Division Casio Japan.

Red Bull Racing trades up with FXDD

On the day that Red Bull Racing begins testing with the RB6, it is pleased to announce that FXDD, an on-line leader in foreign exchange, has joined the team as an official Team Partner. The agreement means FXDD’s logo is displayed on the nose of the new car, which was unveiled at the Jerez Circuit in Spain this morning.

Already an official partner of the New York Rangers, FXDD chose to join Red Bull Racing in order to reach Formula One’s significant global audience and raise awareness of its growing global brand. In addition to being visible on the nose of the RB6, the company’s logo will appear on the drivers overalls, worn by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, as well as on team wear and across Red Bull Racing’s other partner branding areas.

“We are pleased to welcome FXDD to Red Bull Racing”, commented Team Principal Christian Horner. “It is a very proactive and dynamic organisation and the fast-moving, data-intensive world of online foreign currency trading is a good fit for Red Bull Racing and Formula One. We are delighted to join forces with them at this exciting time ahead of the new Formula One season.”

Under the agreement FXDD will be known as the ‘Official Foreign Currency and Precious Metals Partner of Red Bull Racing’.

source: www.redbullracing.com / GMM