![]() An RB16 driven by Alexander Albon at the 2020 Formula One pre-season testing | |||||||||||
Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
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Constructor | Red Bull Racing | ||||||||||
Designer(s) | Adrian Newey (Chief Technical Officer) Pierre Waché (Technical Director) Rob Marshall (Chief Engineering Officer) Guillaume Cattelani (Chief Engineer - Technology and Analysis Tools) Steve Winstanley (Chief Designer - Composites and Structures) Edward Aveling (Chief Designer - Mechanical and Systems) Ben Waterhouse (Chief Engineer, Performance) Dan Fallows (Chief Engineer, Aerodynamics) Craig Skinner (Chief Aerodynamicist) Toyoharu Tanabe ({Power Unit Technical Director (Honda)) | ||||||||||
Predecessor | Red Bull RB15 | ||||||||||
Successor | Red Bull RB18 | ||||||||||
Technical specifications[1] | |||||||||||
Engine | 2020 Honda RA620H, 1.6 L (98 cu in) direct injection V6 turbocharged engine limited to 15,000 rpm peak power produced 990 hp weight 150 kg in a mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive layout[2] 2021 Honda RA621H, 1.6 L (98 cu in) direct injection V6 turbocharged engine limited to 15,000 rpm peak power produced 1040 hp weight 145 kg in a mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive layout[3] | ||||||||||
Electric motor | Honda kinetic and thermal energy recovery systems | ||||||||||
Battery | Honda lithium-ion batteries | ||||||||||
Fuel | Exxon/Esso (Exxon for US race only in 2021) Synergy and Mobil High Performance Unleaded (Mexican race only in 2021) 94.25% gasoline + 5.75% bio fuel | ||||||||||
Lubricants | Mobil 1 Racing 0W-40 fully-synthetic motor oil | ||||||||||
Tyres | Pirelli | ||||||||||
Competition history | |||||||||||
Notable entrants | 2020: Aston Martin Red Bull Racing 2021: Red Bull Racing Honda | ||||||||||
Notable drivers |
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Debut | 2020 Austrian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
First win | 70th Anniversary Grand Prix | ||||||||||
Last win | 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | ||||||||||
Last event | 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | ||||||||||
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Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
Drivers' Championships | 1 (2021, Max Verstappen) |
The Red Bull Racing RB16 and RB16B are Formula One racing cars designed and constructed by Red Bull Racing to compete during the 2020 and 2021 Formula One World Championships, respectively. They were powered by Honda's RA620H (2020) and RA621H (2021) power units, being the second and third Red Bull to use the Japanese manufacturer's engines.[4] 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.[5] Albon became the team's test and reserve driver for the 2021 season. The RB16 was planned to make its competitive debut at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix, but this was delayed when the race was cancelled and the next three events in Bahrain, Vietnam and China were postponed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7] The RB16 made its debut at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix, while the RB16B made its debut at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix.
The pandemic prompted the delay of technical regulations that had been planned for introduction in 2021. Under an agreement between teams and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, 2020-specification cars—including the RB16—saw their lifespan extended to compete in 2021, with Red Bull producing an updated chassis called the RB16B, which used Honda's upgraded RA621H power unit.[8][9]