At a late-night event in Las Vegas, Red Bull’s second Formula One team—now going by the shortened moniker RB—launched its 2024 vehicle.
The relaunched squad, known as AlphaTauri in competition from 2020 to 2023, debuted the updated blue, white, and red VCARB 01 colorway.
At a location on The Strip, Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem gave performances after the launch.
Along with Hugo Boss sponsorship, the automobile prominently features new title partners Visa and CashApp.
The team is trying to move up the grid this year and appeal to a younger audience. Last month, the team had an online identity issue when it changed its name from Scuderia AlphaTauri to Visa Cash App RB.
The team’s new corporate name, Racing Bulls S.p.A., is shortened to RB, but Red Bull has been pushing RB and the names of its sponsors since internal opposition to using Racing Bulls was voiced.
This year, RB plans to strengthen its ties with the senior Red Bull team and relocate some of its activities from its base in Faenza, Italy to Milton Keynes, UK.
The new car, which has only been seen in computer-generated photos thus far, uses the push-rod front suspension from the 2023 chassis instead of the pull-rod setup from the Red Bull of last year.
After the current set of technical restrictions was introduced in 2022, the team now follows the suspension layout preferred by the senior Red Bull squad.
The VCARB 01 exhibits a distinct progression of the noteworthy and prosperous enhancements AlphaTauri unveiled towards the close of the previous year, in addition to the modification to the front suspension.
Still, the team’s new appearance is probably going to draw the most attention until the car hits the track.
The team’s previous livery, which it wore under the Toro Rosso moniker from 2017 to 2019, seems to have been influenced by those designs.
This year, Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will remain in RB’s driver lineup.
After being released by McLaren at the conclusion of 2022, Ricciardo rejoined the squad in the middle of 2023.
He injured his hand at the Dutch Grand Prix practice, which forced him to miss five straight races just two races after making his comeback.
Despite the setback, the 34-year-old has not hidden his intention to utilize his current role at RB as a springboard to rejoin Red Bull’s senior squad in the unlikely event that Sergio Perez’s contract is not extended at the end of 2024.
Tsunoda, who will be joining Aston Martin in 2026, will be starting his fourth season in Formula One with the team this year. However, his career has always been associated with engine supplier Honda, which is scheduled to depart Red Bull for Aston Martin.
This season, RB has a new CEO in Peter Bayer and a new team principal in Laurent Mekies. Franz Tost, who had been with the team since Toro Rosso’s 2006 F1 debut, is leaving the team.