Red Bull

The team's last car, the RB03, during winter testing at Barcelona.

**Red Bull Racing** (simply known as **Red Bull** or **RBR**) was a Formula One racing team under an Austrian licence and based in the United Kingdom. The team participated in Formula One from 2005 to the team's eventual demise and withdrawal from the sport at the end of 2007. The team was managed by Portuguese Miguel Malveiro all the years it participated in Formula One.

## History

### Lamborghini engines (2005)

#### Debut year (2005)

The Red Bull team entered the F1 grid for the 2005 season, lining up with the RB01 and drivers Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton. The team also announced a partnership with Italian auto giants Lamborghini, which saw the team be supplied by the Italian brand. The RB01 proved to be a consistent top-tier car, giving the team its first win at the 2005 Chinese Grand Prix, courtesy of Felipe Massa. Massa even lead the championship at the early stages of the season, but a significant drop in pace meant the Brazilian was unable to fight for the title. Hamilton struggled on his debut year in F1, achieving only two podiums. In the end, Massa placed 5th with 139 points and Hamilton 9th with 73 points. Red Bull ended the season 3rd in the Constructors standings, amassing 212 points. Red Bull would lose Lamborghini engines at the end of 2005, with the Italian manufacturer pulling out of the sport.

### Volvo engines (2006-2007)

#### Championship challenge (2006)

Team principal Malveiro announced on the 3rd of January 2006 that his team would be equipped with Volvo engines for 2006 as the Swedish giant entered the sport in preparation for a potential factory entry in the future. The RB02, an evolution of the successful RB01, proved to be a championship contender right off the bat, with Red Bull's now characteristic early-season form present. Massa once again amassed multiple podium finishes, seven straight podiums from the first round in Australia to the German round. Massa won the team's second and last win to date at the 2006 Canadian Grand Prix. However, much like last season, the team entered a midseason slump. Massa eventually scored another five podiums and a few poles, but he wasn't capable of fighting for the title, eventually losing out to both Renault cars. Hamilton had a bad year overall, failing to score a single podium all season. Massa placed 3rd in the championship with 219 points while Hamilton was 8th with 58 points. Red Bull once again placed 3rd in the Constructors with 277 points.

#### Performance slump and withdrawal from the sport (2007)

2007 was seen as the time Red Bull finally managed to get the top spot and win that elusive drivers crown with Massa. However, quite the opposite happened. The RB03 showed some significant flaws in pre-season testing and the team's worries were confirmed when Massa only managed 8th place at the opening round in Australia. The Brazilian would go on to score a single podium finish at the Chinese Grand Prix - the same track the team scored their first win two years prior - and place 10th in the standings with 60 points. Hamilton had another bad year, scoring only twice all season - although one of them a second place in Bahrain. By the end of the year, the team announced it would be pulling out of the sport due to financial difficulties and poor performance. Former team principal Miguel Malveiro still hovers around the paddock to this day, and the rumours of Red Bull returning to the grid are ever-present.