By Ian Lockwood
January 16 2008

Just a twenty minute drive from Red Bull Racing’s Milton Keynes headquarters, the sun is shining brightly over a nice dry track at Silverstone Circuit. However, the team chose to drive to the southern tip of Europe to launch the 2008 challenger, the RB4, at the Jerez track, where grey skies and rain are the order of the day.

Despite the wet track, David Coulthard completed an installation lap early this morning.

"It's great to see a new car come together," he commented. "Inevitably, a lot of parts were still arriving last night, so when I left for my bed it looked a bit bare, but this morning, there it was in all its glory! It looks super with lots of nice detail on it and given that it did its installation lap and came back to the garage, so far we have achieved all our targets! Now we have to build from there".

Anxiously watching from the pit wall was team principal, Christian Horner: "It's always a key moment to see a new car run for the first time," he said. "And particularly in the case of RB4, that first lap represents a monumental amount of work from the entire workforce. Over the last few weeks, all the departments have made Herculean efforts to get the car ready for this shakedown today".

Red Bull RB4 Hits theTrack

Discussion started by Racing Bulls , 16/01/2008 12:36

Racing Bulls
16/01/2008 12:36

Red Bull RB4 Hits theTrack

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...trollie
16/01/2008 12:43

Wow,..those pinstripes are fugly

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Duffer
16/01/2008 13:08

Bat wings? LOL

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markwebber#1
16/01/2008 13:11

I like 'em.

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dank
16/01/2008 17:48

I hope it's not an omen, but the RB4's engine packing up after 54 laps isn't good!

Quote:

Autosport
David Coulthard completed 54 laps in the new Red Bull Racing RB4 to set the 12th best time, but his earlier talk about how the team needed to be more reliable this year came back to haunt him - as he suffered an engine failure just eight minutes before the end of the day.

At least it wasn't on race day!

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growler
16/01/2008 18:20

As DC said, in the past, he has struggled to complete an installation lap on some shakedowns.

The RB2 overheated almost instantly, and the RB3 had bits falling off it!

www.racingbulls.net

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max_torq
16/01/2008 20:51

new cars are like that.

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Ari
17/01/2008 03:17

Agree... I don't see any problem with it at all. It's why we have testing. I'd prefer to see them push the car to its limit then put it in the garage last, but in one piece.

Better to find out how far it can be pushed now than in a race. Better to find the cars weaknesses now so they can fixed.

WTF am I even saying? It's day one guys!! The fact they did as many laps as they did is an awesome achivement, especially considering its' a major development car. It's not like the Ferrari or McLarens who already have a package and just want to improve on it.

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@DMD@
17/01/2008 03:24

Well actually the RB4 is a continuation of the RB3.

But hey I agree with your overall point.

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bryce
17/01/2008 03:35

and considering that was the ''shakedown'' run you've gotta be happy with a time very close to Webber's, you must remember that Ferrari and McLaren both did private shakedowns so im assuming that the new car is easier to drive then the RB3

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Ari
17/01/2008 03:44

Agree Bryce. That fact that the initial times are close to that of Webbers is extremely impressive. If the shakedown and first look times of the RB4 are similar to that of the RB3 then imagine where we will be with a little time on the track!!

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f1man
17/01/2008 07:45

that's if they understand from mnemory it took a whole year to work things out on rb3

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Duffer
17/01/2008 11:53

Oh my god. The time Webber did may have been not even close to the time the RB3 could have done in a different setup. You can NOT compare these times. Neither car may have been going flat out and both may have had totally different setups and purposes. Guys, I am sorry but the fact the times were close means absolutely nothing. Please understand testing is not racing...

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LoudHoward
17/01/2008 12:12

They were in the low 1:20s with the RB3 the other day, Duffers right, it was wet half the day, we don't know what kind of running was done with what fuel loads and what kind of tyre compound.


http://www.patronisef1.com - My solution to F1's 'bore' problem.

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markwebber#1
17/01/2008 13:29

Exactly. We have no idea what the Rb4 can do, so I don't see why everyone is so keen to dump on it.

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LoudHoward
17/01/2008 14:05

People are dumping on it (if you want to call it that) because its boring to look at, just the same as the last car. No one knows it's pace so I don't think anyones really bag it's speed or lack there of...


http://www.patronisef1.com - My solution to F1's 'bore' problem.

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Whitey*~@
17/01/2008 14:09

Spot on LH...

*** WILLIAMS F1 FAN SINCE 1985 ***

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