Checo achieved another five podium finishes in 2021, finishing fourth in the general classification, equaling his best result in the championship. It was also confirmed midway through the campaign that he would stay with the team for the 2022 season.
The arrival of the Mexican driver at Red Bull Racing has been plagued with success, but have you ever wondered where this young team came from. We tell you all the details.
The beginnings of Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing was born in late 2004 with the ambition to compete for race wins and world championship titles. Christian Horner was appointed team principal soon after and has guided the team’s development ever since.
Over the next four seasons, solid foundations were laid. The team recruited in both quantity and quality, constantly expanding until it was able to go toe-to-toe with the most illustrious names in racing.
The team finished mid-table in 2005 and 2006. The starting driver line-up mixed youth and experience: David Coulthard (DC) provided the experience, while Christian Klien, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Robert Doornbos were the youthful injection. DC took the first podium finish, finishing third at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix.
For 2007, Mark Webber joined DC. The team finished fifth that year but fell back to seventh in 2008, although everything was to change in 2009.
David Coulthard retired at the end of 2008 to be replaced by Sebastian Vettel. Vettel’s arrival coincided with a major reset in the sport’s aerodynamic regulations. The new rules gave the technical team a chance to shine. With the RB5, they produced a winner: Vettel took Red Bull Racing’s first win at the Chinese Grand Prix. The car would go on to win a further five times in 2009, including Webber’s first F1 victory at the Nürburgring.