Red Bull unveiled its 2021 RB18 at its Technology Campus in Milton Keynes. PHOTO: redbullcontentpool.com

BRENDAN LINES February 10, 2022

RED BULL has unveiled its RB18, the car world champion Max Verstappen will take the wheel in defending his 2021 crown.

Red Bull is the first team in 2022 to produce a physical concept — other than Haas’ renderings on Friday — of its interpretation of Formula 1’s new regulations.

But world champion Verstappen revealed adapting to the RB18 should be “straightforward” with no added pressure to his title-defence season.

“I will just do what I do all the time because I don’t think there is any reason to be different,” Verstappen said.

“Now I just I can’t wait for that first moment when I drive out of the pitlane in the RB18.”

The Milton-Keynes-based team wheeled out a rolling chassis of its 2022 design, but team principal Christian Horner suggested the RB18 is likely to “evolve”  before its on-track debut.

“With the new regulation changes this year, the whole philosophy has altered from last year, which means every single component is different to last year’s car. It’s a clean sheet of paper for every single team,” he said.

“By the time we get to the first race, the RB18 won’t look much like it looks today, the evolution will be very quick as we progress through the season. 

“It is a steep learning curve for everyone and it is a race of development between the first race and the last race.”

A learning curve that will start from “zero” according to driver Sergio Perez.

“The new regulations are said to improve the competition on track, so I hope that for us as drivers we can compete more, race more and follow each other more closely,” Perez said.

“There will be a lot of things we need to learn and adapt to but these new regulations are set to make everything very interesting.”

The RB18 will make its preseason testing debut at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 23.