2011 end of term report – Red Bull Renault

Reaching the top is not an easy task, but staying on top is probably even harder.
Red Bull Racing kept its expectations in check at the beginning of the year, too aware that it could struggle to retain its number one in the constructors’ championship. However, the 2011 season turned out to be even better for the Austrian team which dominated the championship.

Season review

The RB7 was unveiled at Valencia on the 1st of February. Adrian Newey defined it as an evolution of its predecessor, the RB6. Nonetheless, it featured a blown exhaust which raised a few eyebrows. It was also equipped with a KERS designed and developed in-house – which later appeared to be the Achille’s heel of the RB7. But the car was so well-born that it was not a massive problem. It won 6 of the 8 first races of the season.

The RB7 excelled in qualifying and started on pole 18 times out of 19. It was usually less dominant in race conditions and particularly struggled in Great-Britain where it suffered from the blown exhaust clampdown. After the summer break, however, Vettel resumed his sprint towards the title and won three races in a row: Belgium, Italy and Singapore. Such was his domination that he took the title in Japan. The team was crowned at the next round in Korea.

In addition to an excellent level of performance, the Milton Keynes-based team also enjoyed an impressive level of reliability. It was a massive improvement compared to what happened in 2010 and explains why Sebastian Vettel could build such a gap in the standings. RBR recorded two retirements this year: one for Vettel at Abu Dhabi – caused by a puncture – and one for Webber in Italy – driver mistake.

Last but not least, the reigning World Champions performed extremely well in the pits. Its tyre changes were most of the time the fastest of the whole pitlane… a testament to the hard work and skills of the crew.

Conclusion

Not only did Red Bull Racing improve in sheer performance, but it also erased most of the mistakes it made in 2010. As a result, it enjoyed a much better season in 2011 and brilliantly defended both titles.
The RB7 was competitive on every type of circuit and was extremely reliable. Sebastian Vettel managed to make the most of it to dominate the drivers’ World Championship.

He took 15 pole positions and 11 wins while Mark Webber added 3 poles and 1 win to RBR’s tally. First and third in the drivers’ championship, both men contributed the team’s success in the constructors’ championship.

The Austrian team success on track has led to more controversy surrounding the legality of some of the RB7 components as well as the team’s budget. It was accused of breaking the RRA, something Christian Horner vehemently denied. The matter was investigated by the Formula One Teams Association.

Expectations

Stability has been key to RBR success in the past three years. The same group will remain in place, with a car still designed by Adrian Newey. The reigning World Champions will be the obvious favorites despite the ban of the blown exhaust systems. But one can expect Newey to find the perfect answer to the regulation changes…

Highs
—  RB7 competitive and reliable
—  18 pole positions
—  Constructors’ World Champion with three races left

Lows
—  KERS problems at the beginning of the season
—  A few mistakes

Nextgen-Auto.com marks:
— Olivier Ferret : 19/20
— D.Thys : 19/20
— Sandrine Bouchard : 19/20
— Jean-Michel Setbon : 19/20
— Average marks on the forum Nextgen-Auto.com : 19/20
—  Total : 95/100