Vettel vs Webber

Lore & Background

The 2021 car won the drivers' title with Max Verstappen, marking the team's first World Championship title in 8 years since Sebastian Vettel won the drivers' title and the team won the constructors' title in 2013. The drivers for 2020 were Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon, both of whom were retained by the team for a fifth and second season respectively, with Sergio Pérez taking Albon's place for 2021. Albon became the team's test and reserve driver for the 2021 season.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Red Bull garage at Sepang was thick with humidity and unspoken words. The 'Multi 21' instruction crackled over the radio, a simple command for Vettel to hold position behind his teammate. But in the cockpit of the RB9, Sebastian's grip tightened on the steering wheel. He saw Mark ahead, the Australian pushing the limits on worn tires, desperate to protect his lead. With a surge of power that defied the team's hierarchy, Sebastian pulled alongside and swept past, leaving Mark staring at the rear wing he was supposed to follow. The silence in the pit lane when they returned was louder than the roar of the V8 engines; it was the sound of a partnership breaking under the weight of ambition.

Reader's Guide

The RB16 featured a narrower nose with two additional inlets at its front, a redesigned barge-board area, smaller side-pod inlets, a large 'cape' element below the nose, raised parts of the rear suspension, two supporting pillars on the rear wing, and a redesigned front multi-link suspension. For 2021, Red Bull used its development tokens to change the shape of the gearbox casing, allowing it to rearrange the rear suspension and significantly increase rear downforce. The Honda RA621H featured a more compact camshaft layout placed lower, a different valve angle, shorter cylinder bore spacing, and modifications to the turbine and compressor.

Did You Know?

• The RB16 made its debut at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix, while the RB16B made its debut at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix.
• At the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, the RB16B wore a red and white livery inspired by Honda's 1965 Mexican Grand Prix win.
• The RB16 and RB16B competed in 39 races, winning 13 (success rate of 33.33%).
• The RB16B became the first non-Mercedes car to win any championship since 2013.