Red Bull are set to be the first team to unveil their 2023 car as they announce a February launch date for the RB19 in New York City.
Williams may have thought their February 6 date would have secured them pole position in the race to be first to launch but Red Bull have nipped in three days earlier with the 2023 challenger set to be shown to the world on February 3.
Provided the final remaining teams, Haas and Alfa Romeo, do not announce an earlier date, the Red Bull car will be the first of the 2023 vehicles that the public sees.
Not only is the date noteworthy but also the location with the reigning Constructors’ Champions choosing to unveil their car in New York City, the same city that sister team AlphaTauri will do later in the month.
The choice of venue further demonstrates the focus on the US market from Formula 1 with three races, including a debut for Las Vegas, set to be hosted in the country this season.
With the RB18 proving to be Red Bull’s most successful car ever and the ninth most successful of any team in Formula 1 history, the RB19 certainly has a lot to live up to and will have to do so on the backfoot.
The RB19 has been designed with 10% less wind tunnel time following the team’s minor cost cap breach and Red Bull have also been punished as a result of achieving top spot in the 2022 Constructors’ standings.
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Speaking to PlanetF1.com shortly after the 2022 season ended, chief designer Adrian Newey said it was “difficult to know” how much the wind tunnel penalty would affect them.
“It doesn’t help, of course,” he said in regards to the penalty. “It’s very difficult to know exactly how much of an effect it has.
“We’ve already had a bit of a penalty by winning the Constructors’ and then we’ve had this additional penalty from the cost cut shenanigans.
“So how it will affect us, it’s difficult to know but we’ve just got to do the best job we can.”
Red Bull are one of the few unchanged teams going into 2023 with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez both behind the wheel but Daniel Ricciardo has been brought in as the third driver.
Verstappen is aiming for his third consecutive Drivers’ title, a feat only achieved previously by Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and another Red Bull man Sebastian Vettel.
Red Bull are also searching for their sixth Constructors’ title which would take them one behind fifth-placed Lotus in the all time charts.
