- The Red Bull RB17 hypercar debuted at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed
- RB17 is a track-only car with 1,200 hp from a hybrid V-10 powertrain
- Only 50 will be made, and it costs at least $6.48 million
The Red Bull Formula 1 Racing team has entered the hypercar arena.
On Friday, Red Bull Racing unveiled the RB17 track-only hypercar at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Only 50 RB17s will be made—and as for the price, it's unclear. Red Bull said back in 2022 the RB17 would cost about 5 million British pounds, which is $6.48 million.
The RB17 is powered by a naturally aspirated mid-mounted V-10 engine that screams to a 15,000-rpm redline. Red Bull hasn't detailed the engine itself, but noted it makes about 1,000 hp on its own. The gas engine is supplemented by an electric motor that adds about 200 hp for a combined powertrain output of 1,200 hp to the rear wheels. The electric motor will power fill to smooth out gear changes, but will also be used for first and reverse gears. The gearbox is made out of carbon fiber.
Red Bull said the entire car weighs under 1,984 pounds. It's capable of delivering F1-like lap times and the top speed is over 217 mph.
Adrian Newey
The RB17 is all about aerodynamics. The man responsible for the design is F1 legend and Red Bull Racing's Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey. One of Newey's main goals for the RB17 was to deliver an F1 experience from behind the wheel, though it's a two-seater so the experience can be enjoyed by a co-driver. Newey is also the man responsible for the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
In May, Newey made a shock announcement that he would be departing from the Red Bull Racing team, but not before finishing the 2024 F1 season and the RB17.
The RB17 is said to have the most advanced ground effects package on a car sold to the public. The car sports adjustable aero including side skirts and has an active suspension system. Newey designed the systems to counteract bouncing and nose lift; known as porpoising, the effect has afflicted Mercedes-Benz AMG's F1 cars in recent years.
A blown diffuser, which directs exhaust gases above the diffuser to aid downforce, is part of the package. The downforce is said to match the car's weight at speeds of 120 mph, and hit a peak 3,750 pounds at 150 mph. The latter is said to prevent the tires from being destroyed while delivering F1-like lap times.
Two different wheel options along with bespoke Michelin tires will be available.
While the RB17 isn't street legal, Red Bull said each owner will be "welcomed into the Red Bull Family with a full customer journey." That journey will include a range of track events on various circuits, driver development training, and the tailoring of each RB17 to suit the owner's needs and desires. Each build will be custom and buyers can spec everything from the paint color to interior materials.
Servicing and maintenance of the RB17 will be handled directly by Red Bull itself.
The car is named the RB17 because it was never used for the team's Formula 1 race car. Red Bull's 2021 F1 car was originally supposed to be the RB17, but it ended up being the RB16B.
Production of the RB17 is said to begin in 2025 at Red Bull's headquarters in Milton Keynes, U.K.
