Red Bull F1 boss confirms RB17 hypercar for 2024

It’s no secret that Red Bull and its legendary designer Adrian Newey can make title-winning F1 cars, but we’re yet to see if they can channel all that expertise into building a proper hypercar.

With that said, the wait could be over this year. Following its initial announcement in 2022, Red Bull’s Formula One Team Principal Christian Horner has revealed that the track-only RB17 hypercar is set to be unveiled this year.

The Red Bull RB17 isn’t Adrian Newey’s first attempt at designing a track-only hypercar, as he and Aston Martin have previously collaborated on building the Cosworth V12-engined Valkyrie that will be racing in Le Mans next year.

However, the RB17 has the distinction of being Adrian Newey’s first hypercar to be fully developed in-house by Red Bull Advanced Technologies. Unlike the Valkyrie, the RB17 will be powered by a twin-turbo V8 hybrid. While Red Bull has not specified which company produced the power unit, the engine itself will apparently put out north of 1,100 horsepower. The electric motor, on the other hand, will provide an additional 150 horsepower and fill in those torque gaps while reducing turbo lag.

The RB17’s aerodynamics will also be heavily based on ground effect – much like the current Formula One cars. Newey has demonstrated his mastery of this aerodynamic principle through the domination of Red Bull in the new ground effect era. With no regulations limiting design possibilities, the RB17 will feature more tools to control airflow such as flexible skirts, active suspension, and a blown diffuser – all of which are banned in the current F1 rules.

Red Bull Advanced Technologies aims to build at least 50 examples of the RB17, with a production target of 15 units per year. The company has previously stated an initial pricing of GBP 5 million (PHP 335.8 million), making it a very expensive toy you cannot drive on the road. However, future owners of the RB17 will get exclusive access to the Red Bull Racing team's simulators, vehicle program development, and on-track training aside from the usual factory service and maintenance support.