Red Bull have become the latest team to reveal their 2009 car, the RB5, at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in southern Spain today. The Adrian Newey-penned machine bears resemblance to its predecessors but incorporates the restructured bodywork that new regulations demand. Sebastian Vettel, the team’s new recruit, will test the car today before Mark Webber – recovered from a cycling accident – takes the reins on Wednesday.
Team principal Christian Horner told journalists at the launch that the new regulations would open up the racing, and permit new teams to take their turn at the front. He backed his own squad to do that, after sister team Toro Rosso’s race win last year.
“We should not forget [the Red Bull stable’s technical department] designed a car that won a grand prix in 2008, in the hands of Sebastian Vettel and Scuderia Toro Rosso.
“There is no reason to believe we cannot do that again with these new rules. The regulation changes almost constitute a new formula for the sport and it will be interesting to see how the teams interpret them.’
Horner also confirmed that the team remained in good financial shape, and that the cost-cutting measures helped his team in particular.
“Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology carried no excess weight anyway in terms of manpower, so adjusting to the new rules has, for us, been relatively straight-forward and we are in good shape for the future.
“The changes caused few interruptions to our workflow and they will also assist the larger manufacturer teams in cutting costs, in terms of manpower. Over the past year, we had invested strategically, and therefore, with the rules as they now stand, we are in a good position to capitalise on them, as they present an opportunity for teams to compete on a more level playing field.”
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