VCARB To Incorporate Red Bull RB20 Design Elements In 2025 Challenger

VCARB is reportedly set to incorporate certain design elements from the successful Red Bull RB20 into their 2025 competition car.

According to recent reports, VCARB, rebranded from Scuderia AlphaTauri in 2024 to align closer with Red Bull’s vision, is utilizing technical features like the rear suspension and gearbox, as well as adopting the unique ‘shark-mouth sidepods’ and a comprehensive cooling inlet design.

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VCARB decided to update its identity and technical approaches in 2024, officially adopting the name Visa Cash App RB F1 Team. This rebranding aligns with their overall strategy of integrating more closely with Red Bull Racing, allowing shared resources within the regulations.

The fact that VCARB is owned by Red Bull Racing has raised concerns from rivals. Addressing the criticism from others in the paddock, team principal Laurent Mekies said last year:

“There was a level of hype at the beginning of last year where, I guess people felt there could be some magic in the fact that somebody takes a gearbox and suspension.

“But it’s not a new regulation. It’s been there for 15 years, and you have never seen guys that will be taking these items from somebody else, suddenly fighting for the championship, or fighting for the top three or the top four, it just never happened.

“So, it is what it is. Lobbying is part of Formula 1, but I think the reality of the grid is that probably more than ever. You had the top four teams and the rest of the world. And I think as a sport, the shareable components are very much there for that, to avoid that you have a division one and division two, and that we can race with 20 cars in a competitive, tight field. And I think from that standpoint, nothing has changed.

“Do you expect that 2026 regulations will produce something else? No, if anything, the grid may be more spread out at the beginning of ’26 because that’s what new regulations do. So anything you have that can avoid that spread to be too big is good.”

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has been particularly vocal with his concerns. He explained previously:

“I’m speaking in the wider interest of the sport. If you look at every other major sport, you’re not allowed to own two teams. And I’d even go further, there’s A-B team relationships.

“When they started 15 years ago it was because there were big gaps between the top teams and the bottom teams. Now that there’s this great budget cap in place, all teams are pretty much running at the cap.

“It’s an equal playing field. I can tell you from sitting in the FIA-F1 Commission meetings, the voting is always the same when in theory, it shouldn’t be in one of the team’s best interests.

“We’ve seen it on track, some collaborations going on. Technically, they’ve been very forthright in ‘we’re going to take the suspension, etc.’ The definition of a Constructor is someone who develops their own Intellectual Property. I think the sport has moved onto an equal playing field.

“To have A-B relationships and co-ownerships of two teams on a level playing field, it’s not what the fans expect. The FIA really need to do something about it.”

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