Red Bull are latest team to test ahead of F1's return

Alexander Albon is driving Red Bull’s RB16 in a filming day at Silverstone today ahead of the start of the season next week.

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Red Bull has made different testing arrangements to its major rivals. As the team is running its current car, the event is defined as a promotional run, and they are limited to a maximum of 100 kilometres’ running.

Mercedes and Ferrari chose to run two-year-old cars in their events at Silverstone and Mugello respectively, meaning they did not have the same restrictions on mileage. Running a two-year-old car was not an option for Red Bull, as the Honda-powered team would have had to source a power unit from former supplier Renault.

These tests will give teams the opportunity to practice operating their cars while observing social distancing restrictions which will be in place when the championship begins behind closed doors at the Red Bull Ring next week.

This is the second and final promotional event Red Bull can perform this year. It already ran its RB16 pre-season at Silverstone with Max Verstappen at the wheel. It used an older car for another event at Zandvoort.

Renault also ran a two-year old car in a test at the Red Bull Ring. Racing Point used its RP20 for a promotional event at Silverstone last week.

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Pictures: Alexander Albon tests at Silverstone

Phil Turner, Red Bull, Silverstone, 2020

Alexander Albon, Red Bull, Silverstone, 2020

Christian Horner, Red Bull, Silverstone, 2020

Christian Horner, Alexander Albon, Red Bull, Silverstone, 2020

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13 comments on “Red Bull are latest team to test ahead of F1’s return”

bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
25th June 2020, 11:52

Does this mean that all PU’s are returned to their manufacturer once they’ve been used? Do Red Bull not have any Renault engines, or is that they can’t operate them without Renault?

Jere (@jerejj)
25th June 2020, 12:39

@bernasaurus The latter. They’d need people from Renault for operating the Renault PUs fitted in the pre-2018 hybrid era cars.
1. Jere (@jerejj)
  25th June 2020, 12:47
  
  @bernasaurus Sorry, pre-2019, of course. Hybrid era-cars from 2014 to 2018 (RB10-RB14).
  1. bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
    25th June 2020, 13:12
    
    @jerejj
    
    Thank you!
anon
25th June 2020, 22:35

@bernasaurus most teams that take an engine supply contract are technically just leasing the engines from their supplier and do not own them outright, meaning they have to be returned to their supplier at the end of the contract.

It’s something that has been going on in F1 since at least the 1960s, when most teams would lease an engine from companies like Coventry Climax and later Cosworth (or independent suppliers that Cosworth would sub-contract work out to, such as Nicholson or Judd).

nmgn (@nmgn)
25th June 2020, 11:52

I’ve asked this before but could I please get some clarity about this?

..was not an option for Red Bull, as the Honda-powered team would have had to source a power unit from former supplier Renault

It used an older car for another event at Zandvoort.

What brand of engine you think was in that older car?

I always thought teams have contracts with old(er) engine suppliers so that they can still use the car for demo(/test)runs. Can someone debunk this for me?

Robert
25th June 2020, 12:12

I would think it is more down to the agreement they have with their current engine partner, in this case Honda. Maybe they allow shorter promotional use of old Renault engines but not a longer, closely watched by media, actual test. If they can only do a short run anyway they might as well use the current car with Honda power. Commercial agreements can be complex, especially when involving multiple parties…
Jere (@jerejj)
25th June 2020, 12:45

@nmgn The 2011 RB7 has, of course, the Renault V8 at the back, but since V8s are easier to operate they don’t need Renault-people for that purpose. It’s only the hybrid era-cars, which are harder to operate without certain people present if the PU fitted comes from a manufacturer different from the team’s current one.
@Robert