---
title: "Red Bull unveil RB18 F1 car for 2022 title defence"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2022/02/09/red-bull-unveil-rb18-f1-car-for-2022-title-defence/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths"
section: "F1 News"
published: "2022-02-09T16:25:33Z"
modified: "2022-02-09T16:40:27Z"
---

# Red Bull unveil RB18 F1 car for 2022 title defence

Red Bull is the first team to reveal its 2022 Formula 1 car in the flesh after launching the RB18 ahead of the new season on Wednesday.

Following Max Verstappen’s word championship success last year, Red Bull enters this season as the team to beat after ending Mercedes’ seven-year stranglehold.

Verstappen’s last-lap pass on Lewis Hamilton at the season finale in Abu Dhabi saw him secure his maiden F1 crown – claiming Red Bull’s first drivers’ title since 2013.

The Dutch driver is eyeing the chance to join the elite list of back-to-back world champions this year, a feat only 10 drivers have managed to achieve in F1’s 72-year history.

Verstappen proved the class of the field in 2021 by claiming 10 victories, 10 pole positions, a record 18 podiums and leading more laps than the rest of the grid put together.

Sergio Perez will partner Verstappen for a second successive season, with his first campaign for the team ending with one win and four further podiums on his way to fourth in the drivers’ standings last year.

Red Bull has opted to stick with a matte livery it has used on its car since 2016, as shown on a showcar at the launch, with new title sponsor Oracle featuring on the sidepods the most obvious change.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit will now be known as Oracle Red Bull Racing after singing a multi-year deal with the US tech giant, reported to be worth $500m.

Another visible change is the #1 that Verstappen confirmed he will run on his car this year. Following permanent driver numbers being adopted at the beginning of the V6 hybrid era in 2014, no driver up until now has sported the #1 apart from Sebastian Vettel.

This year marks Red Bull’s first season without Honda power, after the Japanese manufacturer pulled out at the end of 2021.

Honda, though, is expected to supply power unit’s to Red Bull until the end of 2025, before paving way for the new Red Bull Powertrains division to focus efforts on the new engine regulations arriving in 2026.

While it won’t have a direct involvement on Red Bull’s power unit from this year, Honda will remain on the team’s 2022 livery under the HRC brand.