Red Bull Racing's First Grand Prix Victory (China 2009)
Red Bull's first title challenger
The Red Bull RB5 is a Formula One racing car designed by the Red Bull Racing team for the 2009 Formula One season. It was driven by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. The car gave the team its first pole position, first win and first ever 1–2 finish at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix.
Quick Facts
- Chassis
- RB5
Lore & Background
The RB5 was launched on 9 February 2009 at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain. Sebastian Vettel named his RB5 'Kate' and after crashing it at Melbourne's Albert Park, he named his new chassis 'Kate's Dirty Sister'. In July 2010, Red Bull gifted designer Adrian Newey a complete RB5 car as a 'thank you' gift. Newey first drove the car at the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Reader's Guide
The RB5 won 6 out of 17 races in the 2009 season, with Vettel winning four races and Webber winning two. The team finished 2nd in the Constructors' Championship behind Brawn GP, and Vettel finished second in the Drivers' Championship behind Jenson Button. The car started the season with a narrow needle-like nose, later replaced with a flatter wider nose.
Did You Know?
- The car was launched later than most rivals to allow longer development time.
- Red Bull originally attempted to develop their own KERS system, but a factory fire from overheated batteries stalled progress; the RB5 never raced with KERS.
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