Red Bull Racing RB15
| File:RedBullRacingLogo.svg Logo of Red Bull Racing | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Formula One racing team |
| Founded | January 1, 2005 |
| Founder | Dietrich Mateschitz, Chaleo Yoovidhya |
| Headquarters | Milton Keynes , United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide (Formula One) |
Key people | Christian Horner (Team Principal) |
| Products | Formula One cars |
| Owner | Red Bull GmbH |
Number of employees | 800+ |
| Website | www |
The Red Bull RB15 is a Formula One car engineered by Red Bull Racing for participation in the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship. This model represented the team's inaugural integration of a Honda power unit, specifically the RA619H. The RB15 was piloted by Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, and Alexander Albon. Gasly was initially contracted for the entire season after his promotion from Toro Rosso, taking over from Daniel Ricciardo; however, Albon took his place following the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The vehicle made its first appearance at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix. Verstappen's triumph at the Austrian Grand Prix was particularly notable as it ended Honda's winning hiatus dating back to 2006, when Jenson Button drove the Honda RA106 to victory. Over the course of 21 races that season, the RB15 achieved three wins, nine podium finishes, two pole positions, and recorded five fastest laps.
Development
Transitioning from Renault to Honda power units signified a substantial change in the RB15’s development, requiring a comprehensive redesign of the car’s rear section to accommodate the new engine. Honda’s split turbo configuration, akin to that found in the Mercedes engine, necessitated modifications in cooling systems and aerodynamic elements. These included updated wing profiles, enhanced airflow management, and refined bargeboards aimed at optimizing chassis efficiency.
Opening rounds
During the Australian GP, Red Bull demonstrated competitive speed throughout practice sessions. Gasly was eliminated in Q1 due to a strategic misstep, whereas Verstappen qualified fourth behind Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. Verstappen secured third place on race day, earning Honda its first podium finish since 2008. Gasly recovered impressively from seventeenth on the grid to finish eleventh. Team principal Christian Horner praised Gasly’s performance after the event.
At the Bahrain race weekend, Ferrari dominated practice sessions. Verstappen qualified fifth and Gasly thirteenth. Verstappen narrowly missed a podium by finishing fourth; Gasly completed the race in eighth position.
In China, Red Bull occupied the entire third row with Verstappen qualifying fifth and Gasly sixth—marking Gasly’s debut in Q3 that season. Verstappen finished fourth, while Gasly came home sixth and set the fastest lap to earn an additional championship point.
At the Azerbaijan GP, Verstappen crossed the line in fourth place; however, Gasly retired due to mechanical failure. Following this race, Verstappen slipped to fourth in the Drivers' Championship standings, trailing third-placed Vettel by a single point with 52 points accumulated.
European and Canadian rounds
During the Spain event, Verstappen qualified fourth and finished third after an early overtaking maneuver on Sebastian Vettel, matching his prior year’s result; Gasly maintained sixth position. At the Monaco Grand Prix, Verstappen secured third on the grid but dropped to fourth after receiving a penalty. Gasly started eighth due to a grid penalty but managed to finish fifth while setting the fastest lap.
In Canada, Verstappen qualified eleventh amid red flag interruptions but recovered to finish fifth; Gasly qualified fifth but fell back to eighth during the race. At the France round, Verstappen both qualified and finished fourth; meanwhile, Gasly struggled and ended tenth following a penalty incurred by another competitor.
At the Austria race, Verstappen started from the front row due to a grid penalty applied to Lewis Hamilton and overcame an early anti-stall issue en route to victory—marking Honda’s first win since 2006 and ending Mercedes’ winning streak in 2019. Gasly finished seventh and was lapped by Verstappen, prompting questions regarding his seat security.
At the British GP, Verstappen qualified fourth and concluded the race in fifth after contact with Vettel; Gasly achieved fourth place. Red Bull set a new benchmark for pit stop speed at 1.91 seconds during Gasly's tire change. In Germany, Verstappen qualified third and secured victory despite spinning mid-race—his second win of that season—while Gasly retired following a collision.
At the Hungary, Verstappen earned his maiden pole position—the first for Honda since 2006—with Gasly qualifying sixth. Verstappen finished second after Mercedes executed superior strategy and also set fastest lap; Gasly ended sixth but was hampered by slower traffic and was overtaken by Verstappen during the race.
Post-summer break (Belgium to Japan)
On 12 August, Red Bull elevated Alexander Albon to the primary race seat for the remainder of the season, taking over from Pierre Gasly who transferred to Toro Rosso. This adjustment was implemented immediately starting with the Belgian Grand Prix.
During the Belgian event, Verstappen secured 5th place on the grid but was forced to retire on the opening lap due to collisions and suspension issues. Albon, starting from 17th because of penalties, impressively finished 5th in his debut race with Red Bull.
At the Italian Grand Prix, Verstappen began at the back of the grid following engine penalties and qualifying troubles, eventually finishing 8th. Albon qualified 8th but lost positions after a collision, ending the race in 6th place.
In Singapore, Verstappen and Albon qualified 4th and 6th respectively, concluding the race in 3rd and 6th positions.
Both drivers incurred grid penalties at the Russian Grand Prix. Verstappen started 9th and finished 4th, while Albon began from the pit lane after a qualifying crash and completed the race in 5th.
At Honda’s home event in Japan, Verstappen and Albon posted identical qualifying times, placing 5th and 6th. Albon achieved his career-best Formula One finish of 4th place; Verstappen retired early due to damage sustained in a collision.
Closing rounds
In Mexico, Verstappen earned pole position but was demoted three places on the starting grid for disregarding yellow flags, resulting in a 4th place start; Albon qualified 5th. Both drivers finished outside podium positions—Albon in 5th and Verstappen in 6th—after incidents during the race.
At Austin, Verstappen qualified 3rd and Albon 6th; they finished in 3rd and 5th places respectively.
Verstappen claimed pole position and won his third race of the year at Brazil. Albon qualified 6th and was running second until a late collision with Lewis Hamilton relegated him to 15th (later upgraded to 14th).
For the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen started from 3rd on the grid and finished as runner-up after overtaking Charles Leclerc; Albon both started and finished in 6th position.
Sponsorship and livery
During the Monaco Grand Prix, the team paid tribute to Niki Lauda by displaying his portrait alongside "Danke Niki" on their sidepods. At the Chinese Grand Prix, a vintage Esso logo adorned the rear wing while Mobil branding appeared on the front wing. The British Grand Prix featured a "007" emblem celebrating the milestone of the 1007th World Championship race, with rear wings displaying license plates inspired by Aston Martin vehicles from James Bond films. The drivers’ racing suits were designed to emulate James Bond’s iconic style.
Later use
A modified RB15 chassis was employed for testing tyre compounds intended for use in the 2022 season following the conclusion of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Complete Formula One results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | Grands Prix | Points | WCC | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | BHR | CHN | AZE | ESP | MON | CAN | FRA | AUT | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | SIN | RUS | JPN | MEX | USA | BRA | ABU | |||||||
| Template:F1 | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | Honda RA619H | Template:Pirelli | Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Pierre Gasly | 11 | 8 | Template:F1 race position | Ret | 6 | Template:F1 race position | 8 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 14† | 6 | 417 | 3rd | |||||||||
| Template:Country data THATemplate:Namespace detect showall Alexander Albon | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Template:Country data NEDTemplate:Namespace detect showall Max Verstappen | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | Template:F1 race position | 5 | Template:F1 race position | Template:F1 race position | Ret | 8 | 3 | 4 | Ret | 6 | 3 | Template:F1 race position | |||||||
Driver classified despite not finishing, completing over 90% of race distance.