Red Bull Motorsports
F1
These are Oracle Red Bull Racing's 7 greatest F1 wins
Red Bull Racing have competed in more than 400 Formula One Grands Prix, boasting more than 120 wins and counting. Here are seven of the greatest victories from the six-time F1 world champions.
Let's start at the beginning:
Red Bull Racing best races: Vettel and Webber triumph in China in 2009
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01
Win 1: 2009 Chinese Grand Prix
- Venue: Shanghai International Circuit
- 1st: Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull Racing
- 2nd: Mark Webber – Red Bull Racing
- 3rd: Jenson Button – Brawn
It's a special date for anyone involved with Red Bull Racing, because it was on a sodden Sunday in Shanghai that the team took in the view from the top step of an F1 podium for the first time after Sebastian Vettel won the Chinese Grand Prix.
When racing drivers talk about a breakthrough win it's because they and the team first need to learn how to set up the car, pick the right strategy, manage the race and cross the line first. Often that first win is followed by more success and even a run at a championship. For Red Bull Racing, after four years of development, they were ready, but they still needed that elusive first win. In new driver Sebastian Vettel they had a proven race winner as the German had delivered the first-ever victory in Red Bull colours for Toro Ross the previous year.
Vettel splashed to success in Shanghai in '09
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At the third race of the season, Vettel claimed Red Bull Racing's first pole position and then in a wet Shanghai, set off behind the safety car. After eight soggy laps, he pulled away and managed his race lead – a characteristic of the German's four world championship campaigns.
But it was still jittery. "At some points I was trying to bring the car home, but that meant I lost focus, so then I just tried to take it corner by corner, not looking too far ahead. On the last two laps I backed off a bit, as I didn't want to risk aquaplaning on the water at the side of the track. And then… well it's just fantastic.” Mark Webber came in second to make the team’s first win a triumphant one-two.
'I'll jump in if you do ...'
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02
Win 9: 2010 Monaco Grand Prix
- Venue: Circuit de Monaco
- 1st: Mark Webber – Red Bull Racing
- 2nd: Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull Racing
- 3rd: Robert Kubica – Renault
A new decade of F1 saw the arrival of new teams including Mercedes, who brought back seven-time world champ Michael Schumacher to drive for them. The season began with Fernando Alonso claiming his first win for Ferrari and then defending champion Jenson Button won in Australia, before Sebastian Vettel won in Malaysia. In Spain, Mark Webber joined the party with a win and he followed that up leading a 1–2 at Monaco from pole.
The win demonstrated that Red Bull Racing had a team capable of wrapping up both championships on a track where they recorded their first podium in their infancy in 2006. "It's a special day, the greatest day of my life," said the Australian. "As a Formula 1 driver, you really hope that you win races and if you have a choice then the blue riband event is very, very special for any driver."
Red Bull Racing best races: Mark Webber starts a Monaco tradition in 2010
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Red Bull had made a splash in the Principality before – remember Christian Horner fulfilling a pre-race bet by jumping in a swimming pool clothed only in a Superman cape after David Coulthard took the team's first podium in Monte Carlo in 2006? But Webber's maiden win at Monaco four years later took the celebrations to a whole new level, Red Bull Racing winning the sport's signature race for the first time. Both the Australian and Vettel ended up in the team's pool at the Energy Station after the race and the drivers decided to jump in the harbour soon afterwards. It might have been Webber's one wrong move of the day. "Mediterranean diesel" was his colourful description of a harbour filled with the after-effects of people partying on boats for the weekend …
A smoky salute after a fourth world title
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03
Win 44: 2013 Indian Grand Prix
- Venue: Buddh International Circuit
- 1st: Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull Racing
- 2nd: Nico Rosberg – Mercedes
- 3rd: Romain Grosjean – Lotus-Renault
This was a classic Vettel at his clinical best: starting from pole, he pitted early, sacrificing track position to get onto the preferred medium tyre. He regained the lead midway through the race and disappeared over the horizon. He was able to pit and retain the lead, taking his RB9 over the line 29.823s seconds clear of the chasing pack. The result sealed his fourth Drivers' Championship title and he celebrated in style with a display of donuts, before climbing out his car to kneel in praise – to the delight of the huge crowd and the fury of the FIA, who fined Red Bull Racing €25,000.
"To join people like Prost, Fangio and Michael (as four-time champions) is unbelievable. I think this is one of the best days in my life so far." Poignantly, the win also marked the end of a chapter, not only for the Buddh International Circuit, which never hosted an F1 race again, but also for Red Bull Racing. At the end of the season, Mark Webber retired and the following year Sebastian left for Ferrari. The team would continue to win occasionally, but it would be 2021 before they claimed another title.
Ricciardo was sublime at Spa
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04
Win 50: 2014 Belgian Grand Prix
- Venue: Spa-Francorchamps
- 1st: Daniel Ricciardo – Red Bull Racing
- 2nd: Nico Rosberg – Mercedes
- 3rd: Valtteri Bottas – Williams
Daniel Ricciardo was a breath of fresh air for F1, but while the Australian's fun-loving demeanour off-track gave way to a fierce racer on it. That was evident from his first two victories, where he seized victory in Canada and Hungary with late-race overtakes. But at F1's greatest race circuit, he proved he was more than a hard-charger, controlling the race from the moment the dominant Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided on Lap 2.
Red Bull Racing best races: Daniel Ricciardo celebrates victory at Spa
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Ricciardo managed the lead and nursed his tyres to cross the line three-seconds clear of the field. That the landmark 50th win for Red Bull Racing came at such a historic track made it even sweeter. "There's definitely a few races on the calendar that stand out more than others and Spa is one of them," Ricciardo grinned afterwards.
Red Bull Racing best races: Max leads Lewis around the 2021 US Grand Prix
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05
Win 73: 2021 U.S. Grand Prix
- Venue: Circuit of the Americas
- 1st: Max Verstappen – Red Bull Racing
- 2nd: Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
- 3rd: Sergio Pérez – Red Bull Racing
2021 was a year of Covid, controversy and champions. At its heart, a clash of titans. Two generational talents. Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion with more wins than any other F1 driver, and Max Verstappen, the youngest driver to race in F1 and ready to take the crown. In Texas, the pressure was on the Dutchman and he responded by delivering one of his greatest-ever drives. Hamilton had won four of the last six races at COTA and was hot favourite to do it again. Verstappen claimed pole, but Hamilton edged past him coming out of T1. Verstappen pitted first, using the undercut to get back in front while Hamilton stayed on track, aiming to pit and push his way back to the front with a late charge.
When hammer time came, Verstappen held his nerve, refusing to bolt and instead saved his tyres for a sprint at the end. On the final lap, he lapped family friend Mick Schumacher to gain a DRS boost on the grandstand straight, which was enough to take the checkered flag by 1.3s over Hamilton and set up a thrilling final chase for his first world title. "The pressure was on for the whole race and not knowing how quickly Lewis would catch up,” said Verstappen. “We definitely gave it our all today as a team.”
Red Bull Racing best races: Spain 2023
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Win 99: 2023 Spanish Grand Prix
- Venue: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
- 1st: Max Verstappen – Red Bull Racing
- 2nd: Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
- 3rd: George Russell – Mercedes
Fast, direct and determined, Max Verstappen is the definitive Red Bull Racing driver. More than half of the team's wins have been delivered by the Dutchman, who has the third-most wins in F1 history. In 2023, Verstappen and Oracle Red Bull Racing rewrote the record books for dominance and victories in a single season. Verstappen won 19 out of 22 races and stood on the podium 21 times with a win rate percentage of 86 percent - shattering Alberto Ascari's 75-year-old record. Oracle Red Bull Racing won 21 out of 22 races (95 percent), beating McLaren's record from 1988. He also recorded two of his five Grand Slams in 2023 – that’s setting pole, leading every lap and claiming the fastest lap on the way to victory.
His race in Spain was his most dominant in the most dominant F1 season ever and on the track that he scored his first ever win in F1. "It's a big pleasure to drive with a car like this," said race winner Verstappen after he jumped out of his RB19. "A win here, it's incredible. It was a strong weekend from myself, from the team. Hopefully we can keep this up!"
Red Bull Racing best races: Max Verstappen wins in Brazil 2024
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07
Win 121: 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix
- Venue: Autodromo José Carlos Pace (Interlagos)
- 1st: Max Verstappen – Red Bull Racing
- 2nd: Estebán Ocon – Alpine
- 3rd: Pierre Gasly – Alpine
Max Verstappen rates his debut victory in Spain as the best of his career. We humbly beg to differ: it was in the wet in Brazil in 2024. Verstappen always delivers drama in Brazil, but this was extraordinary. After the dominating F1 for the previous two seasons, it was clear that he no longer had the quickest car. Torrential rain brought out five red flags and while Sprint race winner Lando Norris claimed pole, he was given a grid penalty for an engine change and lined up P17.
The rain continued into Sunday's race bringing false starts, crash, false restarts and more crashes. But Verstappen was imperious amid the chaos, finding grip where no one else could as he came scything through the field, passing Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly and Oscar Piastri before passing race leader Esteban Ocon for a win that all but sealed his fourth F1 world crown. "Today was honestly incredible. I'm super proud to win here in Brazil as it's a special place for me, but also because we started from P17,” said Verstappen. "It was definitely an emotional win; I was really motivated and put everything into this race and I surprised myself today as I wasn't expecting to finish in P1. This was a really strong result for us today and I'm really proud."
