Adrian Newey described the debut of the Red Bull RB17 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed as an incredibly special moment after the brand's first in-house hypercar made its maiden run on the famous hillclimb.
The RB17 was designed by Newey as a personal farewell project before his move to Aston Martin. It is the first hypercar built internally by Red Bull Advanced Technologies, carrying a concept closely aligned with Formula 1 engineering while packaged as a two-seater machine.
The RB17 name also carries symbolic value within Red Bull's project lineage. It bridges the gap between the RB16B and RB18, with no Red Bull Formula 1 car having used the RB17 name in the team's 2022 naming sequence.
Technically, the RB17 is powered by a naturally aspirated 4.5-litre V10 engine from Cosworth, paired with an electric motor. The combined system produces 1,200 horsepower, while a carbon monocoque keeps the total weight below 900 kg.
The RB17 also uses technologies not permitted in Formula 1, including active suspension and advanced ground effect. That package allows the car to generate up to 1,700 kg of downforce, with simulation data suggesting it can match genuine F1 lap times at circuits such as Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.
Production will be limited to just 50 examples worldwide, each priced at more than six million euros. Buyers will also gain exclusive access to a dedicated track and simulator programme designed to help them understand the car's extreme capability.
Before the car reaches its owners, Newey became the first person to drive it at Goodwood. Although the RB17 was not close to its ultimate performance ceiling on the hillclimb, the run offered an early look at the technical potential of Red Bull's hypercar project.
“It's an incredibly special moment,” Newey told the official Goodwood FOS broadcast.
“It's been a very long time in the planning. I think I did my very first sketch for the car over Christmas in 2021, but it's been a long time in gestation. The guys – everybody, the guys and girls back at the factory – have done a really amazing [job] to get it here. Yeah, it's really special to have the car here and to drive up the hill for the first time.”
The Goodwood debut now stands as an important milestone for the RB17 before its customer programme begins, while also marking a major technical chapter in Newey's Red Bull performance legacy beyond Formula 1.
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