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As Adrian Newey gets stuck in at Aston Martin, his swan-song Red Bull project is continuing apace. Red Bull Advanced Technologies recently released fresh images of the RB17 hypercar, showing some noteworthy changes since the hybrid V10 track monster’s public debut at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Some concessions to practicality were made, including the addition of larger, hockey-stick headlights, exterior mirrors, and a windshield wiper. A fin has sprouted from the car’s spine, and the many vents that stud the bodywork are better defined. The version shown here is also a bit larger than the one shown at Goodwood, but its footprint still matches a modern F1 car, according to Top Gear, which also talked to Red Bull Advanced Technologies technical director Rob Gray about the changes and Newey’s continued involvement.
“Adrian’s allowed [to consult] on the project, and he’s still interested in what’s going on,” Gray said. “But to an extent we got what we needed from him, we know what he wanted the car to look like and he’s always on the end of the phone if we need him.”
Newey’s 19 years with Red Bull Racing were among the most successful of any F1 designer/team combination, yielding seven drivers’ titles, six constructors’ titles, 101 poles, and 118 race wins. To keep the golden goose happy, Red Bull allowed Newey to take on hypercar side projects, first with the Aston Martin Valkyrie and then with the RB17. Aston’s transformation into an F1 constructor (ironically, the one Newey is now a part of) ended its relationship with Red Bull, and Newey’s involvement with the Valkyrie. The design genius must be feeling deja vu.
Newey was involved in every facet of the RB17’s design, and that apparently continued past the car’s unveiling. He subsequently decided to move the exhaust onto the engine cover, a change that necessitated additional work “to stop bits catching fire,” Gray said. That exhaust will transmit the shriek of a bespoke Cosworth V10 that revs to 15,000 rpm and delivers 1,000 horsepower by itself. An electric motor adds 200 hp, while providing torque fill during upshifts. It also takes the place of a reverse gear.
Red Bull Advanced Technologies
Red Bull is also showing the interior for the first time, and it’s delightfully free of touchscreens and haptic controls. The RB17 is supposed to rival F1 cars, and you won’t find any touch controls in those. With such lofty performance capabilities in mind, the RB17 is also being engineered to Le Mans prototype crash standards, Gray told Top Gear, even though it isn’t intended to race. The front-hinged doors are also intended to provide easier ingress and egress than the Valkyrie’s gullwing doors.
The first RB17 prototype is being built now, with a public debut likely happening this summer. Production of the 50 planned customer cars is expected to start next spring.
All photos credit: Red Bull Advanced Technologies
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not covering all things tech for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
