The 2013 Formula 1 season doesn't begin until the Australian Grand Prix of March 17 at Melbourne. That said, the race teams are already generating massive buzz this week as they unveil their latest racing cars for the new season.
The 2013 F1 season carries over many of the same regulations as the previous year so most of the new unveilings are expected to reveal an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, design. That said, there's enough changes in the new cars, most notably the end to the duckbill front nose (at least for some teams), that's worth having a look.
Obviously, the team to watch this season is Red Bull Racing, the reigning constructor's champion and driver's champion for the past three consecutive years. Red Bull has just unveiled their new RB9 racing car yesterday and in just presentation alone, the new RB9 is already miles ahead of the competition.
Accompanying the new Red Bull RB9 is a sensational short film that lets us into Red Bull's factory and gives us a little taste of what it takes to create a modern Formula 1 car from scratch. First penned by the visionary genius of chief technical director Adrian Newey, the design is then brought to life using a plastic mold model that first undergoes wind tunnel testing. After the car is aerodynamically optimized, engineers then create clay molds to lay sheets of carbon fiber on. The carbon wrapped molds are then placed in an industrial oven at temperatures as hot as 300 degrees Celsius to cross link and harden. Specialists finish the car in Red Bull's trademark blue livery and electrical engineers make sure the car's computers and wires are properly installed.
Finally, the Red Bull Racing RB9 is ready for its public debut and media closeup. Did all that sound intense? That's because it is.
Be sure to watch Red Bull's latest "Rhythm Of The Factory" promo video below. Also, compare the video and notice all the innovation and engineering progress Formula 1 has achieved since the Williams F1 team aired their own documentary a couple of years back. Formula 1 never stays still.
