How Long Has Red Bull Been in F1?

One of the strongest teams on the grid today, Red Bull, has come a long way from its origins. Where historic teams like Williams, Ferrari, and McLaren have remained the same, other teams, including Red Bull, took a long time to reach their ultimate form.

From 1997 to 1999, F1 knew the team as Steward GP; in the 2000s, they transformed into the iconic green car under the name of Jaguar. Barring a couple of podiums, the team didn’t do too well in its time. At the end of the 2004 season, the energy drink company we know as Red Bull bought the staggering team.

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The company also purchased Minardi in 2006 and renamed them Toro Rosso. Going into the 2021 season, the team was named AlphaTauri, after Red Bull’s fashion brand. So under the Austrian company, the team has been in the sport for 18 years.

The history of Red Bull

After taking over as sponsors, the team took some time to warm up to the grid. After getting their first podium in 2006, the team picked up pace in 2009.

The 2009 season gave the Milton Keynes outfit six victories, and they stood second on the constructor’s board. The RB5 showed strong pace in the hands of Vettel and Webber, as the team dominated the second half of the season. Red Bull’s performance in 2009 set the tone for what we see today- Red Bull became a worthy competitor to Brawn, now Mercedes.

The team claimed double championships between 2012 and 2013. They nurtured rising star Sebastian Vettel, who was the sport’s youngest quadruple champion. After a drop in performance in 2014, RedBull bounced back. Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen proved to be an ideal lineup.

Soon, the team dropped to third in the championship again, facing competition from a resurgent Ferrari. this resulted in the team changing their engine provider from Renault to Honda, which turned out to be the right choice for the team. 2019 and 2020 started a slow upward trend for the team, with Verstappen ending the season with 2 wins and 9 podiums.

Although, the 2021 season is proving to be very different. History repeats itself in Max Verstappen, who is the team’s new icon. Disrupting the Mercedes domination, the two teams are neck and neck in both the standings.

While circumstances changed for the team, one thing remained constant- Horner. Christian Horner has guided the team since 2004; the team principal has really seen it all. A young Horner made his debut with the team and has stuck by them ever since.

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Currently second in the championship, Verstappen continues to soldier on for the team. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a team other than the Silver Arrows on top of the board and Red Bull might just be the one to change it.