Red Bull (F1 Preview)

Red Bull is starting this season once again as the team to beat. The Austrian squad has won its second title in a row and will certainly be looking for a third one. Everyone will want to steal the crown from them but the bull team will definitely be at full strength to prevent a surprise “OLÉ!”

In winning team you don't move a string, so the Red Bull team has kept last year's drivers for the 2012 season: reigning champion Sebastian Vettel and Australia's Mark Webber. After two titles who knows what can come from the German. Another dominating championship or a harder working season? The Aussie will want to return to his 2010 form, as we never know if this will be his last season in F1.

Team Chief Christian Horner admits that the goals for the new season are quite simple. “It’s to try and defend both titles in the manner (in which) we achieved them.” Horner admits that the team has set a very high standard for themselves but knows that Red Bull always looks for improvement. “We can’t control what our opponents do, we’re up against some formidable opponents, but we can only really focus on ourselves and only when we get to Melbourne will we truly know where we sit against our rivals,” said Horner.

The RB8 had to be totally redesigned compared to last year's car because last year's car was designed around the blown exhaust diffuser. That exhaust allowed the team to run a higher rear ride height, so the ride height has been lowered compared to last year to cope with the new exhaust.

"We’ve kept more or less the same chassis shape, but had to drop the nose just in front of the front bulkhead, which, in common with many other teams, has led us to I think I’d probably say a slightly ugly looking nose," Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey.

Quotes:

Sebastian Vettel

Oh, we do it again! Obviously, we had a great year, and I think you know we’ll always look back to 2011 and think how special it was, but to be honest, you don’t start the season having, you know, expectations to have the same or similar season again. So we know how special it was and we really enjoyed that but we know how hard it is to be that consistent – always there and nearly every race on the podium – so, you know, the target is to obviously try to do it again and try to get everything out of ourselves, so we’ll see how we get on with the new car, the RB8.

Mark Webber

"Yes the success of the team in the last few years has been exceptional, so every time we launch a new car there is a lot of anticipation and excitement as you touch on some nerves and expectation. The bar has been set high. We have cleaned up in the last few years, our Constructors’ Championship last year was very dominant. Both drivers are performing near the front and the team is being very reliable, we know that we have to keep working hard. The continuity has been a key factor in that, all of our Partners have been great for us and there is no reason in 2012 we can’t be challenging for top results again."