Racing Bulls is doubling down on its Red Bull connection as it prepares to unleash its 2025 Formula 1 challenger, the VCARB02.
According to AutoRacer, the Faenza-based outfit will incorporate key design elements from last season’s dominant RB20, continuing the team’s closer technical partnership with Red Bull Racing.
With McLaren and Ferrari closing the gap to the reigning champions, this move could be Racing Bulls’ best shot at solidifying itself as a top-tier midfield force—but not everyone in the paddock is happy about it.
Racing Bulls to Feature Red Bull’s Rear Suspension, Gearbox & ‘Shark-Mouth’ Sidepods
After an impressive 2024 campaign that saw Racing Bulls battle for sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, the team isn’t slowing down.
For the last three races of 2024, Racing Bulls bolted on Red Bull’s RB20 rear suspension and gearbox, taking full advantage of F1’s regulations that allow junior teams to source non-aerodynamic components from a senior squad.
For 2025, Racing Bulls is going even further, integrating:
- The RB20’s rear suspension
- The RB20’s gearbox
- Red Bull’s ‘shark-mouth’ sidepods, featuring the now-famous L-shaped cooling inlets
According to AutoRacer, this radical design will feature:
“The now famous inverted L-shaped cooling inlet, with a horizontal and a vertical intake connected only internally. This is the same design used by their ‘big’ sister Red Bull in 2024.”
It’s clear that Racing Bulls is embracing its closest-ever technical relationship with Red Bull, an alliance that has sparked outrage from rival teams—particularly McLaren.
McLaren’s Zak Brown Calls for Stricter Rules—But Racing Bulls Fires Back
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has been vocal in calling for complete independence between F1 teams, taking repeated swipes at the Red Bull-Racing Bulls relationship.
But Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer isn’t having it.
“I know for certain that Ferrari and Haas work closer than Red Bull Racing and us,” Bayer told PlanetF1.
“I understand that it’s a cutthroat competition. Everybody’s trying to throw stones into the path of the other one.”
Bayer insists that Racing Bulls isn’t simply cloning Red Bull’s car, arguing that their VCARB02 is still an independent design.
“If you take a step back and listen to our drivers and the engineers—you will hear that our car, it’s a different car. It’s simply not a copy. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be where we are in the first place.”
Will This Strategy Propel Racing Bulls Up the Grid?
With Yuki Tsunoda and rookie Isack Hadjar set to drive the VCARB02, Racing Bulls is betting big on this Red Bull-inspired evolution.
- The team will shakedown the car on February 17 at Imola, giving fans a first glimpse of just how much RB20 DNA has been baked into the new design.
- With closer ties to Red Bull’s aerodynamics department in Milton Keynes, the team could become a serious midfield disruptor in 2025.
But will Racing Bulls’ latest evolution be enough to challenge McLaren, Aston Martin, and Alpine?
Or will F1’s political battles over ‘B-team’ relationships overshadow its progress?
One thing is certain—all eyes will be on Racing Bulls when the VCARB02 hits the track.