Red Bull first to present new car

LONDON: Former world champions Red Bull will be ahead of their Formula One rivals at least when they come to show off their new car, after announcing a Feb 19 launch date on Monday.

The team, who won four drivers’ and constructors’ championships in a row with Sebastian Vettel between 2010 and 2013, will unveil the RB14 a week before testing starts in Barcelona on Feb 26.

No details of the launch were given.

Champions Mercedes, with Britain’s Lewis Hamilton going for his fifth title, and 2017 runners-up Ferrari will both present their new cars on Feb 22.

Red Bull, with Dutch driver Max Verstappen and Australian Daniel Ricciardo, were one of the last Formula One teams to reveal their car last season and did so with an online launch on the eve of testing.

Team boss Christian Horner said last year that Red Bull aimed to make the most of testing right from day one in Spain after some teething problems last season.

“We are focusing on a slightly earlier release target, which only involves about five days,” he said then.

“But the design is so concertinaed and production schedules so tight, that those five days are actually pretty valuable in terms of being on the front foot rather than the back foot.”

Red Bull won three of last season’s 20 races and finished the season third overall.