F109 Countdown: Red Bull

Red Bull:
2008 Results
Best Finish: 3rd (David Coulthard at the Canadian Grand Prix)
Points Scored: 29
Championship Position: 7th
2009 Drivers: Mark Webber & Sebastian Vettel

Red Bull promised much last year, but failed to deliver. It was all looking rosey when the team scored points finish in the first seven races of the year. There definitely seemed to be a realistic shot that they could challenge for fourth.

But as the second half of the season begun, results dried up for the sports energy drink backed squad. They would go on to score in only four of the remaining races.

What compounded their slide down the table was the improvements in the sister Toro Rosso team. It was they who picked up Red Bull’s first victory in the sport. It was the little team that used to be Minardi that brought the Red Bull name to prominence in the sport. I’m sure there were many sick looking individuals in the main squad camp as Toro Rosso stole the headlines as the season headed towards its finish.

Blame was put on the engine; with Red Bull team members stating the Ferrari powered Toro Rosso got more power as the season went on. It was a statement that always perplexed me, since engine development was on a freeze. Regardless, it was their fault. It was Red Bull who decided to send their Ferrari contract over to Toro Rosso in favour of a shiny Renault one.

With egg on their face, they will be out with a lot to prove. Like a number of contenders, they pumped development time into the 09 challenger early. Red Bull, along with BMW, was amongst the first to test the KERS system.

In Mark Webber, they have an established veteran that can put the car in top ten in qualifying. What you get from him in the race can be a bit of a mystery. Now that all the hype and furore over his ability has died down, we are just left with a competent driver who can do is job well on the day.

His pre-season has been disrupted by a broken leg, suffered in an off-season event. Not the ideal way to kick off a brand new era of the sport. But credit to the Aussie for battling back to fitness in great time to get some miles in the car.

I feel that Australian has never truly been tested by a team-mate. At least, until this year. In just Jaguar years, he had in-experienced or just plain not quick drivers which easily dispatched. Coulthard provided more of a challenge, but had already peaked. In Vettel, Mark Webber has a shining star of the future to deal with.

The performance of Sebastian Vettel was a joy to behold last year. He put that Toro Rosso in places it shouldn’t have been. The young German crowned a fantastic year with pole position and victory at Italy in a simply masterful performance.

His reward was a promotion to the main team. Although, some might see it as a demotion, given the performance of Toro Rosso in the end of last year. If the Red Bull car is even somewhat competitive, I expect Vettel to be in the thick of it. I really expect him to put Webber into the shade. Another win? Why not. The boy has the talent to do it. He could very easily add to his tally. Vettel is one man to keep your eyes glued on for the forthcoming season.