Red Bull - the team’s saga
Red Bull is all but jubilant at the end of the Monaco Grand Prix 2010, with its driver Mark Webber winning first position while Sebastian Vettel finishing at second. During 2010, the Red Bull team has been able to maintain its position consistently at the podium. In Malaysia this year, Webber was able to keep his third position intact. On the other hand, Vettel successfully crossed Rosberg and Webber before the initial corner, heading towards a two lap victory. Webber finished second, with the team ending in third place in the constructor’s championship. Vettel finished on the pole position in China and Spain while this time round, Webber came up to the challenge and finished with a high in Monaco.
Red Bull is one of the two Formula One teams owned by the Austrian beverage company Red Bull. The other team owned by the same brand under Scuderia Toro Rosso. The Red Bull team’s headquarter is in Milton Keynes in the UK, which conducts its working under an Austrian license. Christian Horner is the team manager for Red Bull who has performed brilliantly over the years.
In November 2004, Red Bull which is a large energy drinks company, agreed to purchase Jaguar on the final day of its sale. Though it was the first company ownership for Red Bull, but its involvement in Formula One began back in 1995 when it initially sponsored the Sauber team. The drinks company also conducts a young drivers program known as the Red Bull Junior Team. High-profile drivers who have received this support include Enrique Bernoldi, Christian Klien, Patrick Friesacher, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed. Red Bull also promotes many drivers and teams participating in the GP2 Series and the Formula One's "feeder" series.
Red Bull Racing was one of the initial four teams which also had Ferrari, Midland F1 and WilliamsF1 to agree upon the Concorde Agreement initiated in 2008. This document assured its long-term participation in Formula One racing. Currently, more teams have signed in the document which sees them securing the future of Formula One.
In 2005, their first F1 car known as the RB1 was launched. It used Cosworth engines in its maiden year which was previously being used by the Jaguar Racing. The team was lead by former McLaren driver David Coulthard.
On 23 April 2005, the team inked a deal to use Ferrari engines in 2006. Red Bull Racing continued to use Michelin tyres rather than the Bridgestone’s used by Ferrari.
The team's second car, the Red Bull RB2, hit the track for the first time, On 15 December 2005; David Coulthard completed a number of laps in England at the Silverstone circuit and commented that the new car was as “s**y looking as anything”. At the beginning of the race of the 2006 season in Bahrain, Coulthard had problems when he flat spotted a tyre, finishing at the 10th place. Coulthard ended the race at the 3rd position at the Monaco Grand Prix which is the team's very first podium finish. The team received the 7th place in the FIA Constructors Championship,
In August 2006, the team declared that they had signed Mark Webber to drive alongside David Coulthard for the 2007 season. In 2007, Red bull came up with their new car known as the RB3.
Ending the 2006 season without much luck, the drivers appeared to have struck loads of good luck during the unpredictable and thrilling 2007 European Grand Prix in which Webber landed the 3rd position which was his second podium finish in his career. Coulthard added with a strong 5th position finish to make a remarkable season for the Red Bull team.
Red Bull moved on with the same drivers in 2008 and had numbers 9 and 10 on their cars after ending 5th in the 2007 constructor’s championship.
Red Bull brought the new RB4 at the Jerez circuit on January 16, 2008. David Coulthard had a harder start to the 2008 campaign due to a weak qualifying performance. However, a 3rd position in Canada provided the Red Bull team their first podium since 2007.
Anyhow, as the season passed on, Red Bull was unsuccessful to get along with their competitors. Red Bull had just 5 points in the last 10 races.
The year 2009 saw them launch their new RB5 edition with Sebastian Vettel narrating its video. The team bagged their first ever pole position with Sebastian Vettel, marking the fastest time with just a single qualifying lap in Q3 at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix. On race day, Vettel was victorious with Webber finishing at the second position. Vettel's victory marked the team’s first-ever victory in Red Bull’s history of F1 racing.
At the 2009 British Grand Prix, the car had substantial improvements and Sebastian Vettel won again after qualifying on pole position. Mark Webber was also successful to take his second Formula One win at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Yet again, the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix marks another victory for Mark Webber. Team mate Sebastian Vettel finished at the second position, making the Red Bull team the ecstatic winners.
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