Red Bull is "slaving around the clock" to solve its problems ahead of next weekend's season-opening Australian grand prix. It is emerging that, amid the reigning world champions' obvious problems with engine partner Renault and the new turbo V6 'power unit', the actual basic design of the Adrian Newey-penned RB10 is sound.
Lewis Hamilton calls the car "stunning", and McLaren's Jenson Button thinks it is also fast. "I was with (Daniel) Ricciardo for several laps and he couldn't pass me on the straights," said the Briton at the end of pre-season testing in Bahrain. "He passed me on the outside of turn 11, which is high speed -- I've never seen anything like that before," Button is quoted by Spain's Marca sports newspaper.
Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko said the team's normal development processes are also working well ahead of the new season. "Our measurements have shown that the new parts we were bringing worked as desired, making the car better," he is quoted by Germany's Auto Bild. "The fact that it did not look good on the track was due to the engine software," he revealed.
Marko said Red Bull and Renault are working hard together in the remaining days until Melbourne. "We have so much to do," he told Bild newspaper, "especially the guys responsible for the software who will now slave around the clock on 18 hour shifts. "But whoever can win together, can also work hard together," Marko added.
Mercedes is the clear early-season title favourite, but the German squad's Toto Wolff is not writing off Red Bull. "I am sure they will come back," he is quoted by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. "The only question is when. In our view, hopefully as late as possible," Wolff is also quoted by APA news agency.
Those on the outside, however, are less sure Red Bull can recover quickly. "I think a Mercedes will win the title," former F1 driver Timo Glock told T-online.
F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is not unhappy his friend Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull are struggling, telling Bild newspaper the fans need a new winner to make the sport "exciting" again. He added: "Red Bull are not going to run away just because they don't win everything again." (GMM)
Red Bull crew doing '18 hour shifts' to end crisis
- Published on 06 Mar 2014 13:22
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
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Jan 26
I. Hadjar
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Jan 27
M. Verstappen
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Jan 28
A. Antonelli
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Jan 29
G. Russell
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Jan 30
L. Hamilton
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
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Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
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Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
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Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
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Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
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Spain
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Bahrain
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Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team McLaren
- Points 37
- Podiums 0
- Grand Prix 41
- Country GB
- Date of b. Jan 19 1980 (46)
- Place of b. Frome, Somerset, GB
- Weight 72 kg
- Length 1.82 m
- 67,124 comments on McLaren
23 members have this team as their favourite
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Team profile
- Team name Mercedes
- Base Brackley, Germany
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Nico Rosberg 4
- Nico Rosberg 6
- Michael Schumacher 7
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 8
- Nico Rosberg 9
- Lewis Hamilton 10
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli 12
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- George Russell 63
- Valtteri Bottas 77
- 638,728 comments on Mercedes
- 59 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Mercedes
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