Red Bull Racing

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The team's history begins with the purchase of Jaguar Racing on 15 November 2004. For their debut season in 2005, the team operated under an Austrian racing licence using carryover Cosworth engines from the Jaguar era. Christian Horner was installed as team boss, pairing veteran David Coulthard with young drivers Christian Klien and Vitantonio Liuzzi. The team achieved immediate success, finishing 6th in the Constructors' Championship and scoring 34 points, surpassing Jaguar's totals from 2003 and 2004 combined. In 2006, Red Bull switched to Ferrari engines and hired Adrian Newey as technical director. Despite cooling issues and hydraulic failures early in the season, the team secured its first podium at Monaco, where Coulthard finished third. In a pre-race promise, Horner jumped into a swimming pool wearing only a red cape. The team was already an Austrian constructor from its debut in 2005, maintaining operations in Britain. Their partnership with Renault engines from 2007 to 2018 marked their golden era; following the re-badging of the engine as TAG Heuer between 2016 and 2018, they won four successive Drivers' and Constructors' titles (2010–2013) led by Sebastian Vettel, becoming the first Austrian team to win the championship.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Red Bull Racing shifted dramatically with Max Verstappen's arrival. The works Honda partnership culminated in 2021 when Verstappen secured his first World Drivers' Championship victory. He followed this by winning the title again in 2022, 2023, and 2024, though he missed out to Lando Norris in 2025. While Red Bull won Constructors' titles in 2022 and 2023, they lost the championship in 2021 to Mercedes and in both 2024 and 2025 to McLaren. Although Honda officially left the sport after 2021, they continued supplying complete engines from Japan under Red Bull Powertrains branding until the end of 2025. Looking ahead, the team signed a deal in 2023 to switch to Ford engines starting in 2026 and is constructing a new wind tunnel scheduled to be operational by that same year.

Reader's Guide

For fans following Red Bull Racing, understanding their engine evolution is key to tracking their performance. The team began with Cosworth in 2005, moved to Ferrari in 2006, and settled into a long-term partnership with Renault from 2007 through 2018. During the latter part of this Renault era (2016–2018), the engines were re-badged as TAG Heuer due to a breakdown in relations. The team then adopted Honda power units in 2019, which drove their most recent championship successes. After the Honda partnership formally ended post-2021, the supply continued under specific branding until 2025 before transitioning to Ford engines for the 2026 season. Key personnel changes also define the team's trajectory: Christian Horner led from 2005 until 2025, when Laurent Mekies took over as manager. The team maintains a unique dual identity, competing under an Austrian licence while being based in England. They have utilized various driver lineups, including the sharing of drives between Christian Klien and Vitantonio Liuzzi in 2005, and the recruitment of American Scott Speed to boost US market profile. Their wind tunnel facilities are currently undergoing upgrades to remain competitive for the upcoming regulations.

Did You Know?

• In 2006, Team Principal Christian Horner jumped into a swimming pool wearing only a red cape after David Coulthard secured the team's first podium at Monaco.
• Red Bull Racing won four successive Drivers' and Constructors' Championship titles between 2010 and 2013 with Sebastian Vettel.
• Although Honda officially left Formula One after 2021, Red Bull Powertrains assembled and maintained the engines in the UK with Honda providing remote support, under the Red Bull Powertrains branding until the end of 202
• The team has operated under an Austrian racing licence since its debut in 2005, making it an Austrian constructor from the start.
• American driver Scott Speed was signed in 2005 specifically to raise the profile of Red Bull and Formula One in the American market.