Red Bull duo pushes Jense’s button

Apparently we’re not privy to the full length of the Post-race Driver’s interviews, as we’re just given the TV Unilateral before they switch to the following Press Conference… Where apparently the real fireworks were had as I just busted out laughing over the fact that “ZEBB (Sebastian Vettel) was giving new World Champion ‘JENSE (Button) some major stchick about getting married to his girlfriend over the winter break… To which Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber then joined in the grilling to which seemingly irked off “JENSE quite a bit… As Jenson even stopped his comment to tell them they might like to listen to his comment, to which Webber said we’re just trying to clear our schedules for your wedding Mate!

Hmm? Is that an IZOD shirt Button’s wearing in the photo?

Red Bull duo start Button wedding rumours

Red Bull RB5

(Photo source: Motorsport.com)

Adrian Newey’s latest creation, the Red Bull RB5 broke cover Monday at Jerez, prior to the upcoming test session, with new “Shue” Sebastian Vettel being given the honours of running the new car on its installation laps, as Mark Webber who was on hand is still recovering from his broken leg, but plans to be back in action shortly.

Vettel ran a modest 14 laps before the initial test session was halted due to rising gearbox oil temperature... Hmm? Wasn’t that one of RBR’s Achilles heels last season? Yet, interestingly the RB5 ran with its KERS system fitted, but not activated, as the team simply wished to see what the added weight characteristics were along with any potential harmonics troubles.

And like all of the new 2009 F1 challengers, I’m assuming the front nose is very flat looking, which seems to be part of the designer’s solution to clawing back aerodynamic losses due to the radical rules changes.

Look for the RB5 to run during testing this week in Jerez with both Red Bull regulars behind the wheel, alongside a quartet of their fellow competitors, while Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Toyota will go testing in Bahrain. Thus, Force India and the hoped for rebadged Honda F1 outfit are the only two teams to have not broken cover as we close in upon the season opener in Melbourne...

Sebastian Vettel:
"The guys did a fantastic job to get the car here and ready for this first run. I was happy to be driving again, but don't ask me to comment on the feel of the car as it's far too early for that. With the shakedown out of the way, we can get down to developing the car starting tomorrow and over the next few days. Stopping early today was the right decision, as you really need to understand exactly what causes any problem on a brand new car."
(Source: Motorsport.com)

Launch notes

Red Bull preview

While ‘lil sister Scuderia Toro Rosso has confirmed that Sebastian Bourdais will retain his seat for 2009... This just appeared in my inbox... From the fine folks at Red Bull Racing, as apparently its designed to give you a sneak peak at the upcoming launch of the RB5 this coming Monday...

Enjoy and Kudos Dave!

Red Bull Racing preview

Trusting Red Bull

While Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber continues to recuperate from his broken leg, Sebastian Vettel has been busy testing at Jerez, along with several other F1 teams, and as usual has been towards the top of the time sheets.

And while it’s already been announced that Vettel has moved up from Scuderia Toro Rosso as David Coulthard’s replacement for the ’09 season, Red Bull has also just announced that Trust will become a new team sponsor and will be seen upon the driver’s chin bars. ) Whatever the HELL those are?)

You may recall that Trust previously sponsored the Minardi and Jordan F1 team’s and has been backing the Trust Team Arden in GP2, which just so happens to be owned by RBR’s Team Principal Christian Horner...

Webber recovering

As noted, Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber suffered a broken right leg in his annual charity event in Tasmania recently. Webber has since undergone surgery to have a rod and pins attached to his two broken bones and is most likely out of hospital by now, although he’s been told to wait a few weeks before making the long haul flight home, but the gritty Aussie says he’ll most definitely be on the grid in time for next year’s Australian GP...

Webber breaks leg

Mark Webber has suffered a broken right leg with multiple fractures during the final day of his annual charity event in Tasmania. Having already undergone surgery, the Aussie is now keen to be fit in time for the 2009 season opening round in OZ, but obviously will miss the majority of winter testing.

Adding insult to injury was the Tasmanian police officer’s comments that both the Nissan 4X4 and driver were uninjured...

Webber breaks leg in Tasmania

DC’s F1 Curtain call

(Photo source: Grandprix.com)

And while Scott Speed was shooting his trap off on Speed Freaks, as you probably already know, this past weekend’s running of the Formula 1 season finale in Brazil, marked the end of F1’s elder statesman David Coulthard’s career in Grand Prix, after having made 246 starts and winning 13 races...

Thus, I think its pretty cool that DC was granted approval by all of the Formula One teams to run a special liveried white race car to mark the occasion, with the Red Bull Racing chassis not only celebrating David’s final Grand Prix, but paying homage to DC’s charity; Wings for Life.

Although it was a bit ironic as SPEED’s Peter Winsor interviewed the Scot after his first lap accident, that DC mused” “I started my F1 career with Williams and I ended my career with Williams...” As NOT one, but both Williams-Toyota’s played pinball with Coulthard’s RBR racecar.

But as for his charity salute; Good on you, mate!

Seeing Red

Red Bull’s two current F1 pilots have taken different paths towards there upcoming 2009 plans with Mark Webber having announced that he’ll stay with Red Bull Racing thru 2009 while F1’s elder statesman David Coulthard has announced his retirement from Formula 1 at the end of this season. Speculation suggests that Sebastian Vettel will move up to take the Scot’s vacated seat next year…

Red Bull RB4

Eschewing the glitzy launch furor of the larger Formula 1 Constructors, Red Bull Racing simply rolled out their newest challenger, the RB4 at the just completed testing in Jerez, with Formula 1's elder stateman DC behind the wheel...

Coulthard’s Red Wings

Did you see the unbelievably STUPID overtaking maneuver that David Coulthard tried on Alexander Wurz with just eight laps remaining in the Australian Grand Prix. I’m thinking this isn’t one of Red Bulls planned for product endorsements…

I have just seen the incident in pause mode on the old VCR and talk about Jimi Hendrix’s lyrics “Tire Tracks ALL Across your Back!” It is utterly amazing to see an entire Formula 1 car cross completely OVER the nose of another with the actual wheels passing mere inches from the unsuspecting driver.

And it’s even more amazing that the extremely lanky Austrian’s crash helmet wasn’t impacted. Even more interesting was seeing Wurz’s quick reactions as he pulls his hands off of the steering wheel as DC goes crashing by!

I enjoyed Steve Matchett’s comments onWind Tunnel, stating that DC is frustrated… The Red Bull cars aren’t exactly living up to all of the hoped for performance of an Adrian Newey design and DC is frustrated as the sun is setting on his racing career…

Yet all I can say is, Smooth Move DC!

Webber’s Sour Grapes?

Mark Webber has once again gone for the jugular with his latest comments towards his previous employer Williams.

Webber claims that Williams is now nothing more than Toyota’s “B” team and doesn’t expect the Grove squad to pull itself out of last years abyss, since Toyota will not wish to be out-gunned by their customer team…

And although Webber does have a point, I surely hope that he’s partly wrong since I’d like to see Nico Rosberg kick some tail this season!

Ironically Weber’s current team is also utilizing customer engines, so does this make Red Bull Racing Renault’s “B” Team?

Have Money, Will Travel

Although Robert Doornbos has been confirmed as Red Bull Racing’s test and reserve driver… Doornbos is itching to continue racing this year…

With both of RBR’s Formula 1 race seats spoken for and the cancellation of Friday third drivers, Doornbos is hoping to land a ride in Champ Cars. And his rumoured $5-10 million of sponsorship backing should easily solve the problem of buying a ride in the beleaguered series which still doesn’t have a full grid confirmed for 2007! (Can you say Forsythe?)

Red Bull Racing RB2

Red Bull Racing unveiled the team’s 2007 challenger at the Circuit de Catalunya last week. The RB3 is the first totally new Adrian Newey design for the team, which he’s focused on since last summer…

Mark Webber gave the RB3 its initial shakedown test while Formula 1’s new senior driver “DC” (David Coulthard) was also on hand for the unveiling...

Now opposing Formula 1 Constructors will be watching for the junior teams (Scuderia Toro Rosso) launch in regards to chassis cloning…

To read about Honda Racing's 2007 Launch, see: Honda RA107

Webber Wings It

Mark Webber got his first taste of Red Bull’s “high test” energy drinks the past weekend when he sampled the taste of going 400kph in an aeroplane in Perth, Australia…

Red Bull’s Six Seater

In another marketing ploy, Red Bull apparently took a page from the SPEED channel’s Trading Paint special where Jeffery “Pretty Boy” Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya swapped rides…
In what Vitantonnio Luzzi claimed “ORGASMIC!” Red Bull recently arranged for their Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 ace Luzzi and Risi Suzuki MotoGP rider John Hopkins to swap rides for the day at Valencia. Both racers are currently under contract with Red Bull…

Klien rejects Red Bull offer

Despite being offered a fully funded Red Bull ride with champ Car’s PKV Racing in 2007, Christian Klien has declined Dietrich Mateschitz’s rather blunt suggestion to pack his bags for America…

Understandably the young Austrian wishes to remain in F1 and will now focus upon landing either a testing role or securing a race drive with one of the remaining F1 “minnow’s?” With rumours suggesting that Anthony Davidson will move to Super Aguri in 2007 the only seat remaining available would be with the newly acquired ex-Midland F1 operation.