The Running Of The Bulls

By John Sharpe
March 1 2005

As Mark Webber screamed back and forth across the Sydney Harbor Bridge this last Sunday, the rest of the Formula One fraternity anxiously unloaded racecars, began setting up their garages and reconnected with the excitement of starting a new Formula One season.

For yours truly, this years F1 season begins with me trading in my Team Mclaren garb for a six-pack of Red Bull sans the vodka and setting up my brand new home theatre with which to destroy my hearing. The vodka however would still be nice… So is the grass actually greener now on the other side of the paddock you ask? Well let’s just say that it has all the potential of being a bit more fun this season. I am sure a newly bearded David Coulthard would agree. Honestly, do you think Ron Dennis would have allowed DC to sport such an edgy - free spirited look while at Mclaren? I think not. With just a passing glance, I am flooded with images of DC back in Spain this past winter. However, he isn’t testing behind the wheel of his new RB1. Rather, he’s out wrestling bulls and taking them down by the horns. That type of menacing exterior wouldn’t have gone over too well with Mclaren’s corporate boys but here at RBR I am sure all of us can appreciate a crazed hungry David Coulthard again. I also hear that he has the attitude to boot. My answer to all this is, it’s about time! With the first race just days from getting under way and Melbourne bracing for yet another fantastic party, I can’t help but think that this might very well be one of the best seasons in recent memory. The shakeups begin with new technical and sporting regulations, new driver signings and last but not least, Red Bull Racing officially joining the grid and becoming an instant wild card. So what can we expect from Red Bull Racing this weekend? Well how about a top ten position on the grid for starters. Why not, they have a very impressive package this year that includes not only a talented driver line up of DC and last years Jaguar veteran Christian Klein, but a much stronger engine that is producing somewhere in the neighborhood of around 930 bhp. Last year Mark Webber qualified in the top ten seven times with a less productive version of the Ford Cosworth engine and still had moderate success qualifying the rest of the season. With that said both Christian and DC should have little trouble qualifying well up the grid this Saturday. As for Sunday, reliability will be the word of the day or year. The car has tested positively all winter long with awesome reliability. Barring any serious gremlins RBR should be in great shape for points on Sunday. A strong performance only reinforces the fact that they are a team with unlimited potential. As we all know some big changes were made shortly after the team signed DC but management seems to be solidifying itself with the addition of both Mark Smith and Anton Stipinovich. Their knowledge and strong F1 presence will not only reinforce the team technically but will legitimize Red Bull as a strong contender or possible headache to the front-runners. Similarly to the way Renault and BAR were a few seasons back. Lastly, team strategy will again prove vital as Ferrari has proven time and time again that they are the best at forecasting pit stop strategy. If RBR’s technical team can make the right calculations with tire stops and fuel load strategy in mind, then it should make for a fantastic race on Sunday. Okay, so my brand new home theatre is now set up and ready to inject every corner of my house with 1000 watts of pure Formula One thunder. The Red Bull is chilling in the fridge and my palms are sweating with anticipation. The wait is over and Red Bull Racing is about to take flight. Go Bulls…